Use of adjunctive treatment with interferon-gamma in an immunocompromised patient who had refractory multidrug-resistant tuberculosis of the brain

Clin Infect Dis. 1996 Mar;22(3):572-4. doi: 10.1093/clinids/22.3.572.

Abstract

We describe a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis of the brain and spinal cord. Despite treatment with six antituberculous drugs and a steroid medication for 11 months, there was no appreciable clinical or radiological improvement in the patient's condition. Within 5 months of initiating adjunctive therapy with IFN-gamma and granulocyte colony stimulating factors, substantial neurological and radiological improvement was noted. Therapy with IFN-gamma was continued for 12 months, resulting in complete resolution of the lesions in the brain and spinal cord.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Brain / microbiology*
  • Brain / pathology
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host*
  • Interferon-gamma / therapeutic use*
  • Isoniazid / pharmacology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / complications*
  • Refractory Period, Electrophysiological
  • Rifampin / pharmacology
  • Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Isoniazid
  • Rifampin