Publications
The perceived impact of isoniazid resistance on outcome of first-line rifampicin-throughout regimens is largely due to missed rifampicin resistance Institute of Tropical Medicine
BACKGROUND: Meta-analyses on impact of isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis informed the World Health Organization recommendation of a levofloxacin-strengthened rifampicin-based regimen. We estimated the effect of initial rifampicin resistance (Rr) and/or isoniazid resistance (Hr) on treatment failure or relapse. We also determined the frequency of missed initial and acquired Rr to estimate the impact of true Hr.
METHODS: Retrospective ...
First-line tuberculosis treatment with double-dose rifampicin is well tolerated Institute of Tropical Medicine
OBJECTIVE: To compare the occurrence of unfavourable treatment and safety outcomes of double-dose rifampicin (RMP; 20 mg/kg/d, intervention) with standard dose (10 mg/kg/d, control) in a first-line tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimen for smear-positive TB patients in Bangladesh.DESIGN: This was a randomised clinical trial. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints were the occurrence of an unfavourable treatment outcome (death, failure, ...
Gatifloxacin is superior to levofloxacin and moxifloxacin in shorter treatment regimens for multidrug-resistant TB Institute of Tropical Medicine
SETTING: Data were collected from patients starting one of the shorter treatment regimens (STRs) for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Bangladesh, Niger or Cameroon.
OBJECTIVE : To estimate the effect of either a gatifloxacin (GFX), moxifloxacin (MFX) or levofloxacin (LVX) based STR on bacteriological effectiveness.
DESIGN: Retrospective study of prospectively collected data.
RESULTS : Among 1530 patients, ...
In reply: a human rights-based approach to tuberculosis diagnosis Institute of Tropical Medicine
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis Institute of Tropical Medicine
Dr. Wayne M. Meyers (1924-2018) obituary Institute of Tropical Medicine
Variable ability of rapid tests to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis rpoB mutations conferring phenotypically occult rifampicin resistance Institute of Tropical Medicine KU Leuven
We compared the ability of commercial and non-commercial, phenotypic and genotypic rapid drug susceptibility tests (DSTs) to detect rifampicin resistance (RR)-conferring 'disputed' mutations frequently missed by Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT), namely L430P, D435Y, L452P, and I491F. Strains with mutation S450L served as positive control while wild-types were used as negative control. Of the 38 mutant strains, 5.7% were classified ...
Outcome definitions for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treated with shorter treatment regimens Institute of Tropical Medicine
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the revised 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) definitions for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment outcomes apply to shorter treatment regimens in low-and middle-income countries and to propose modified criteria.
METHODS: Criteria for 'failure' and 'cure' outcomes were assessed using data on 1006 patients enrolled in an observational study on the standardised 9-11 month shorter MDR-TB ...
Whole genome sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: current standards and open issues Institute of Tropical Medicine
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has rapidly progressed from a research tool to a clinical application for the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis and in public health surveillance. This development has been facilitated by drastic drops in cost, advances in technology and concerted efforts to translate sequencing data into actionable information. There is, however, a risk that, in the absence of a consensus and ...