Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, 2008. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 46-05, page: 2665. Adviser: Tommy C. Douglas. Includes bibliographical references.

L’un des défis actuels de la lutte contre la tuberculose est de développer un traitement plus court et plus efficace. La modélisation mathématique constitue une approche qui peut nous aider à comprendre les problèmes actuels et favoriser les innovations thérapeutiques. L’objectif de ce travail est de construire un modèle thérapeutique mathématique de la tuberculose pulmonaire basé sur des éléments pharmacocinétiques, pharmacodynamiques et physiopathologiques. La mise en application du modèle pharmacodynamique a été précédée d’une étude théorique sur l’équation de Hill. Cette synthèse a permis de dégager les bases rationnelles de son utilisation en modélisation pharmacologique. En utilisant une approche de population, un modèle pharmacocinétique de diffusion pulmonaire a permis de décrire les concentrations en rifampicine dans le plasma et le poumon chez 34 sujets. Le modèle a ensuite été utilisé pour analyser la valeur d’indices pharmacodynamiques corrélés à l’effet chez 10 000 sujets fictifs, par simulation de Monte Carlo. Les résultats indiquent que la dose de standard de rifampicine conduit à des concentrations globalement peu efficaces et pouvant favoriser la résistance bactérienne. Un premier modèle mathématique du traitement de la tuberculose par la rifampicine, incluant un modèle physiopathologique formel, a enfin été construit. Il permet de simuler la dynamique bactérienne du premier jour de l’infection au dernier jour de traitement. L’ensemble des résultats conduit à une remise en question de la dose standard de rifampicine et suggère une nouvelle hypothèse sur les causes de la persistance de Mycobacterium tuberculosis au cours du traitement antituberculeux / There is a critical need for a shorter tuberculosis treatment to improve tuberculosis control. Mathematical models may be helpful to understand current problems associated with tuberculosis therapy and to suggest innovation resources. The objective of this study is to set up a full mathematical model of tuberculosis treatment by rifampin, based on pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and physiological submodels. Prior to its application in the pharmacodynamic modeling framework, the Hill equation has been the focus of a theoretical study. The various properties of this equation have been reviewed and the rationale of its use in pharmacological modelling has been clarified. Rifampin pharmacokinetics in plasma and lungs was modelled in a population of 34 volunteers by use of a nonparametric population approach. Then, a 10,000 subject Monte Carlo simulation was performed to explore Mycobacterium tuberculosis killing effect and prevention of resistance by rifampin. The results suggest that rifampin pulmonary concentrations obtained with the standard dose are too low to be highly effective and prevent drug resistance in most subjects. Finally, a full mathematical model of tuberculosis treatment, including a physiological model, has been implemented. The model is able to simulate the time-course of bacterial counts from the first day of infection to the last day of treatment. Overall results of this modelling effort indicate that current dosage regimens of rifampin may be optimized. In addition, this work suggests a new hypothesis regarding the bacterial persistence during tuberculosis treatment.

Antiretroviral drugs have revolutionized HIV care and enabled better management of the infection thus allowing patients survive for many years. One proposed approach to increase access to such drugs in sub-Saharan Africa is to use of a reduced-dose alternative of the drug efavirenz, with 400 mg rather than regular 600 mg dose. This effectively would provide medication for 50 percent more persons with the same amount of active ingredient. However, antiretroviral drugs require high patient adherence to achieve intended therapeutic effect, and it is unclear if a reduced-dose therapy would have sufficient efficacy, and if it would lead to an increased risk of viral resistance. The time profile of drug plasma concentration and corresponding long-term viral load was estimated using integrated population PK/PD simulations, with model parameters based on selected research studies. The results suggest a reduced dose 400 mg, rather than 600 mg regular dose, efavirenz in HIV therapy would place strict demands on patients to maintain very high adherence levels, at least 80-90 percent, to maintain sufficient drug concentration in blood plasma, and to minimize risk of viral failure. However, it is relatively rare for HIV therapy programs in sub-Saharan Africa to consistently achieve such high adherence levels. In addition, if patients are co-administered rifampin, a drug widely used in TB care, this increases hepatic metabolism and plasma clearance rate, resulting in further reduced average drug plasma concentration. These findings suggest a reduced dose efavirenz treatment alternative may be most (only) relevant for patient categories expected to maintain high adherence; and in particular among persons who have been confirmed to have CYP2B6 genotype consistent with inherently lower drug metabolism. At usual adherence levels it is estimated a reduced dose alternative may increase the share of patients at risk of viral failure by 5 to 15 percent vs. regular dose of 600 mg.

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is an emergent concern given the wide usage of prosthetic joints in old and young population to assist with activities of daily living. While the public health burden of PJI appears to be relatively low compared with other potentially fatal infections such as blood stream infections, PJI is associated with excess morbidity and steep healthcare costs. Appropriate and timely diagnosis and management are crucial in preventing poor clinical outcomes and restoring adequate function in patients with PJI. There is lack of studies using robust epidemiologic methods to evaluate effectiveness of existing treatment protocols for PJI. We conducted retrospective studies using the Veterans Affairs (VA) database using data from 123 VA hospitals between 2003 and 2012. We also abstracted clinical data from VA medical records to achieve the objectives of this research. The effectiveness of an antibiotic — rifampin and a surgical management – exchange arthroplasty was assessed in separate studies. These treatments were adjudicated based on their effectiveness in prevention of PJI recurrence and two-year postoperative mortality, respectively. Seven hundred thirty-one of the 2838 patients with first episode of PJI were treated with surgery and medical management for Staphylococcus aureus PJI and were retained in the thesis dataset. In the first study, we compared 300 patients treated with rifampin for the first 42 days of treatment period to 364 patients treated with antibiotics other than rifampin during the 42 days (unexposed). Overall, 255 patients (38.4%) were observed to have a treatment failure defined as recurrence of S. aureus PJI with or without a repeat surgery or death in the 90 days after surgery for the PJI. The rifampin-treated and unexposed groups did not differ on time to treatment failure (p=0.92). It was noted that patients treated with a less invasive surgery that resulted in retention of the infection prosthesis with removal of infected tissue and rifampin treatment had lower risk for treatment failure compared to patients with similar surgery but not treated with rifampin (HR=0.79, 95%CI 0.52-1.20). We also observed that patients who had surgery for removal of the infected prosthesis and were treated with rifampin had significantly greater risk for treatment failure compared to those treated with the prosthesis removal surgery but no rifampin. In our second study we further analyzed this research question in depth using advanced epidemiologic methods to attenuate any bias in our previous findings. We noted that the groups did not differ in their risk for treatment failure after matching patients on their probability of receiving rifampin treatment (HR=1.08, 95%CI 0.71-1.65). In addition, we observed that patients whose treatment decision with rifampin was determined by the rifampin prescription rate in the treating facility substantially benefited with use of rifampin antibiotic for S. aureus PJI. In the third study we assessed the effectiveness of a surgery — exchange arthroplasty (involves removal of infected prosthesis and insertion of new prosthesis) to reduce the risk of death two years after surgery in a sample of 566 S. aureus PJI patients. Patients with this procedure were compared to patients treated with retention of their infected prosthesis and removal of infected tissue (DAIR). Overall, 90 patients (15.9%) died in the 2 years after surgery. Of these, 14 (9.9%) died after exchange surgery while 76 (17.9%) died after the DAIR procedure. We observed that the exchange surgery reduced the risk for death by almost 60% compared to the DAIR (OR=0.42, 95%CI 0.19-0.89). In conclusion, epidemiological studies conducted as part of this thesis identified considerable burden of treatment failure (38.4%) and all-cause mortality (15.9%) among veterans treated for S. aureus PJI. Rifampin combination antibiotic regimen was not observed to be effective in reducing the burden of the infection, in comparison to other antibiotics. Exchange arthroplasty reduced the risk for death in old veteran patients compared to a less invasive but potentially life-threatening procedure such as DAIR. Choice of treatment should be made on a case-by-case basis for patients with S. aureus PJI after thorough consideration of patient characteristics.

Conventional drug susceptibility testing techniques, the ‘gold standard’ for M. tuberculosis are slow, requiring about 3-6 weeks from a positive culture. This diagnostic delay, before initiation of appropriate treatment, contributes to increased transmission rates. Molecular techniques provide rapid results and therefore present an alternative to conventional tests. The aim of this project was to develop an inhouse reverse line blot hybridization assay (RIFO assay) that could detect mutations associated with Rifampicin resistance directly in clinical specimens of patients in KwaZulu Natal. A 437 bp region of the rpoB gene was sequenced to ascertain the most frequently occurring mutations conferring resistance to rifampicin in isolates in KwaZulu-Natal. Wildtype and mutant probes designed to target these mutations, were immobilized on a Biodyne C membrane. Hybridization conditions were optimized using biotin labeled PCR products from culture. Detection was performed with peroxidase labeled streptavidin using enhanced chemiluminescence. Four DNA extraction methods were evaluated on sputum specimens to determine the one with the least inhibitory effect on amplification. A total of 11 mutations were found in 236 clinical isolates: 531TTG (109, 58.3%), 516GTC (26, 13%), 533CCG/516GGC (20, 10%), 533CCG (18, 9.6%), other mutations < 5% each. The chelex extraction method was found to be optimal for removing inhibitors in sputum specimens. Sputum specimens of 404 patients hospitalized at King George V Hospital between 2005 and 2006 were rifoligotyped. The RIFO assay was optimised on clinical isolates and then applied to sputum specimens. The RIFO assay on culture and sputum correlated well with the DST (sensitivity 92% and 94% respectively). However, the specificity was very low in both culture and sputum specimens compared to DST (38% and 35% respectively). This could be attributed to the presence of silent mutations, mixed infections, mixed populations of bacteria or the small number of susceptible strains used in this study. The in-house RIFO assay can be used directly on sputum specimens to predict Rifampicin resistance and therefore MDR-TB in less than a week compared to the gold standards. A total of 43 samples can be tested simultaneously at low cost and the membrane is reusable compared to commercial kits such as the Hains test that is expensive and strips are not reusable. A similar assay can be designed to target mutations for the detection of XDR-TB. Future studies should be conducted in a clinical setting on patients with sensitive strains to increase the specificity. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2006. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

O advento do uso de cateteres venosos centrais na prática médica trouxe muitos benefícios aos pacientes, porém está relacionado a um aumento na incidência de infecções por microrganismos multirresistentes. Além disso, freqüentemente ocorre colonização por bactérias produtoras de biofilme. Estes microrganismos se aderem ao material abiótico desses dispositivos intravenosos, ficando protegidos sob a matriz exopolissacarídica do biofilme. Isso faz com que sistema imunológico e antimicrobianos sejam incapazes de ter sua ação plena e, muitas vezes, não atingem os microrganismos mais internos. O motivo deste insucesso é porque muitos desses agentes biológicos e farmacológicos apresentam propriedades físico-químicas incompatíveis com a penetração nesta matriz. Com o objetivo de determinar quais antimicrobianos são mais adequados para uso quando o microrganismo é produtor de biofilme e quais as propriedades físico-químicas que estão diretamente relacionadas à penetração do antimicrobiano na matriz polissacarídica, utilizou-se método colorimétrico com cristal violeta em microplacas modificado para obtenção de concentração inibitória mínima em biofilme (MBIC) e método já padronizado para concentração inibitória mínima (MIC). Para isso foram testados 10 antimicrobianos em Staphylococcus spp.: rifampicina, azitromicina, claritromicina, eritromicina, levofloxacino, gentamicina, doxiciclina, cloranfenicol, clindamicina e vancomicina. Para Pseudomonas aeruginosa foram testados os mesmos, exceto rifampicina e vancomicina. A discrepância entre MIC e MBIC foi muito grande para vários fármacos, mostrando a necessidade de se avaliar estes parâmetros antes do início da farmacoterapia para uma escolha correta, especialmente em hospitais. Os fármacos que apresentaram melhores resultados foram a rifampicina e os macrolídeos, enquanto que os menos efetivos foram vancomicina e clindamicina. Isso foi atribuído ao perfil lipofílico, porém com alguma solubilidade em água das melhores moléculas. Em contra ponto, a elevada área polar, complexidade e massa molar foram características negativas para a penetração em biofilme, resultando numa ineficácia para essas moléculas. Além disso, também foi avaliado o tratamento de polímeros plásticos com EDTA, obtendo-se redução significativa da produção de biofilme nas placas tratadas com o agente químico. / The use of central venous catheters in medicine has brought benefits to the patients and represents a great advance in clinical practice, while on the other hand this device is related to an increase in the incidence of infections caused by multiresistant pathogens. Furthermore, frequently, the catheters get colonized by biofilm producing bacteria. These microorganisms adhere to the abiotic material of the catheters keeping themselves protected underneath the exopolysaccharide matrix of biofilm, this way the immune system and antimicrobials are incapable to fulfill their action and, many times, are unable to reach internal bacteria. This fact is explained by the fact that many of the biological and pharmacological agents have physical-chemical properties incompatible with the penetration into the matrix. Aiming to determine which antimicrobials are suitable for using when dealing with a biofilm producing microorganism and which physical-chemical properties are directly related to the agent penetration into the polysaccharide matrix, we used colorimetric method with crystal violet to obtain biofilm minimum inhibitory concentration (MBIC) and the already standardized method for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). To accomplish these 10 antimicrobials were tested in Staphylococcus spp.: rifampin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, gentamicin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, clindamycin and vancomycin. For Pseudomonas aeruginosa all antimicrobials except for rifampin and vancomycin were included. There was a great difference between MIC and MBIC for many drugs, showing the need to evaluate these parameters before beginning treatment. The drugs with better results were rifampin and macrolides, while the worse were vancomycin and clindamycin, which can be attributed to the lipophilic profile with some water solubility present in the molecules with better results. The characteristics associated with poor penetration into biofilm were high polar surface area, complexity e molecular weight. Furthermore, the previous treatment of the plastic polymers with EDTA was accessed resulting in statistically significant reduction of biofilm production.

O advento do uso de cateteres venosos centrais na prática médica trouxe muitos benefícios aos pacientes, porém está relacionado a um aumento na incidência de infecções por microrganismos multirresistentes. Além disso, freqüentemente ocorre colonização por bactérias produtoras de biofilme. Estes microrganismos se aderem ao material abiótico desses dispositivos intravenosos, ficando protegidos sob a matriz exopolissacarídica do biofilme. Isso faz com que sistema imunológico e antimicrobianos sejam incapazes de ter sua ação plena e, muitas vezes, não atingem os microrganismos mais internos. O motivo deste insucesso é porque muitos desses agentes biológicos e farmacológicos apresentam propriedades físico-químicas incompatíveis com a penetração nesta matriz. Com o objetivo de determinar quais antimicrobianos são mais adequados para uso quando o microrganismo é produtor de biofilme e quais as propriedades físico-químicas que estão diretamente relacionadas à penetração do antimicrobiano na matriz polissacarídica, utilizou-se método colorimétrico com cristal violeta em microplacas modificado para obtenção de concentração inibitória mínima em biofilme (MBIC) e método já padronizado para concentração inibitória mínima (MIC). Para isso foram testados 10 antimicrobianos em Staphylococcus spp.: rifampicina, azitromicina, claritromicina, eritromicina, levofloxacino, gentamicina, doxiciclina, cloranfenicol, clindamicina e vancomicina. Para Pseudomonas aeruginosa foram testados os mesmos, exceto rifampicina e vancomicina. A discrepância entre MIC e MBIC foi muito grande para vários fármacos, mostrando a necessidade de se avaliar estes parâmetros antes do início da farmacoterapia para uma escolha correta, especialmente em hospitais. Os fármacos que apresentaram melhores resultados foram a rifampicina e os macrolídeos, enquanto que os menos efetivos foram vancomicina e clindamicina. Isso foi atribuído ao perfil lipofílico, porém com alguma solubilidade em água das melhores moléculas. Em contra ponto, a elevada área polar, complexidade e massa molar foram características negativas para a penetração em biofilme, resultando numa ineficácia para essas moléculas. Além disso, também foi avaliado o tratamento de polímeros plásticos com EDTA, obtendo-se redução significativa da produção de biofilme nas placas tratadas com o agente químico. / The use of central venous catheters in medicine has brought benefits to the patients and represents a great advance in clinical practice, while on the other hand this device is related to an increase in the incidence of infections caused by multiresistant pathogens. Furthermore, frequently, the catheters get colonized by biofilm producing bacteria. These microorganisms adhere to the abiotic material of the catheters keeping themselves protected underneath the exopolysaccharide matrix of biofilm, this way the immune system and antimicrobials are incapable to fulfill their action and, many times, are unable to reach internal bacteria. This fact is explained by the fact that many of the biological and pharmacological agents have physical-chemical properties incompatible with the penetration into the matrix. Aiming to determine which antimicrobials are suitable for using when dealing with a biofilm producing microorganism and which physical-chemical properties are directly related to the agent penetration into the polysaccharide matrix, we used colorimetric method with crystal violet to obtain biofilm minimum inhibitory concentration (MBIC) and the already standardized method for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). To accomplish these 10 antimicrobials were tested in Staphylococcus spp.: rifampin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, gentamicin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, clindamycin and vancomycin. For Pseudomonas aeruginosa all antimicrobials except for rifampin and vancomycin were included. There was a great difference between MIC and MBIC for many drugs, showing the need to evaluate these parameters before beginning treatment. The drugs with better results were rifampin and macrolides, while the worse were vancomycin and clindamycin, which can be attributed to the lipophilic profile with some water solubility present in the molecules with better results. The characteristics associated with poor penetration into biofilm were high polar surface area, complexity e molecular weight. Furthermore, the previous treatment of the plastic polymers with EDTA was accessed resulting in statistically significant reduction of biofilm production.

O advento do uso de cateteres venosos centrais na prática médica trouxe muitos benefícios aos pacientes, porém está relacionado a um aumento na incidência de infecções por microrganismos multirresistentes. Além disso, freqüentemente ocorre colonização por bactérias produtoras de biofilme. Estes microrganismos se aderem ao material abiótico desses dispositivos intravenosos, ficando protegidos sob a matriz exopolissacarídica do biofilme. Isso faz com que sistema imunológico e antimicrobianos sejam incapazes de ter sua ação plena e, muitas vezes, não atingem os microrganismos mais internos. O motivo deste insucesso é porque muitos desses agentes biológicos e farmacológicos apresentam propriedades físico-químicas incompatíveis com a penetração nesta matriz. Com o objetivo de determinar quais antimicrobianos são mais adequados para uso quando o microrganismo é produtor de biofilme e quais as propriedades físico-químicas que estão diretamente relacionadas à penetração do antimicrobiano na matriz polissacarídica, utilizou-se método colorimétrico com cristal violeta em microplacas modificado para obtenção de concentração inibitória mínima em biofilme (MBIC) e método já padronizado para concentração inibitória mínima (MIC). Para isso foram testados 10 antimicrobianos em Staphylococcus spp.: rifampicina, azitromicina, claritromicina, eritromicina, levofloxacino, gentamicina, doxiciclina, cloranfenicol, clindamicina e vancomicina. Para Pseudomonas aeruginosa foram testados os mesmos, exceto rifampicina e vancomicina. A discrepância entre MIC e MBIC foi muito grande para vários fármacos, mostrando a necessidade de se avaliar estes parâmetros antes do início da farmacoterapia para uma escolha correta, especialmente em hospitais. Os fármacos que apresentaram melhores resultados foram a rifampicina e os macrolídeos, enquanto que os menos efetivos foram vancomicina e clindamicina. Isso foi atribuído ao perfil lipofílico, porém com alguma solubilidade em água das melhores moléculas. Em contra ponto, a elevada área polar, complexidade e massa molar foram características negativas para a penetração em biofilme, resultando numa ineficácia para essas moléculas. Além disso, também foi avaliado o tratamento de polímeros plásticos com EDTA, obtendo-se redução significativa da produção de biofilme nas placas tratadas com o agente químico. / The use of central venous catheters in medicine has brought benefits to the patients and represents a great advance in clinical practice, while on the other hand this device is related to an increase in the incidence of infections caused by multiresistant pathogens. Furthermore, frequently, the catheters get colonized by biofilm producing bacteria. These microorganisms adhere to the abiotic material of the catheters keeping themselves protected underneath the exopolysaccharide matrix of biofilm, this way the immune system and antimicrobials are incapable to fulfill their action and, many times, are unable to reach internal bacteria. This fact is explained by the fact that many of the biological and pharmacological agents have physical-chemical properties incompatible with the penetration into the matrix. Aiming to determine which antimicrobials are suitable for using when dealing with a biofilm producing microorganism and which physical-chemical properties are directly related to the agent penetration into the polysaccharide matrix, we used colorimetric method with crystal violet to obtain biofilm minimum inhibitory concentration (MBIC) and the already standardized method for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). To accomplish these 10 antimicrobials were tested in Staphylococcus spp.: rifampin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, gentamicin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, clindamycin and vancomycin. For Pseudomonas aeruginosa all antimicrobials except for rifampin and vancomycin were included. There was a great difference between MIC and MBIC for many drugs, showing the need to evaluate these parameters before beginning treatment. The drugs with better results were rifampin and macrolides, while the worse were vancomycin and clindamycin, which can be attributed to the lipophilic profile with some water solubility present in the molecules with better results. The characteristics associated with poor penetration into biofilm were high polar surface area, complexity e molecular weight. Furthermore, the previous treatment of the plastic polymers with EDTA was accessed resulting in statistically significant reduction of biofilm production.

nÃo hà / Baixos nÃveis sangÃÃneos de drogas antituberculose podem ser causa de resistÃncia do Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Este estudo objetivou avaliar a absorÃÃo intestinal transcelular e paracelular e verificar possÃvel repercussÃo nas concentra-ÃÃes sÃricas de de rifampicina (RMP) e isoniazida (INH) em pacientes com tuberculose multirresistente (TBMR). Realizou-se estudo caso-controle no AmbulatÃrio de Tisiologia do Hospital de Messejana, em Fortaleza-CearÃ, entre agosto de 2006 e abril de 2007. TBMR foi definida como o caso de portador de bacilo resistente a pelo menos RMP+INH, de acordo com o teste de sensibilidade realizado pelo mÃtodo das proporÃÃes. Foram formados dois grupos para controle, o dos portadores de tuberculose sensÃvel (TBS) e o dos voluntÃrios sÃos (VS). Realizaram-se exames hematolÃgicos e bioquÃmicos, o teste da lactulose / manitol (L/M) (para avaliar a absorÃÃo intestinal) e coleta de dados clÃnicos e sociais de todos os voluntÃrios. Para a avaliaÃÃo das concentraÃÃes sÃricas foi coletado sangue duas e seis horas apÃs a ingestÃo observada da RMP+INH. A tÃcnica utilizada para a quantificaÃÃo da L e M na urina e dosagem sÃrica de RMP e INH foi a cromatografia lÃquida de alta pressÃo. O total de componentes dos grupos com TBMR, TBS e de sadios foi, respectivamente, 41, 33 e 41, emparelhados por gÃnero e idade. Na anÃlise univariada, encontrou-se mediana / variaÃÃo do percentual de excreÃÃo urinÃria da L e M menor no grupo com TBMR em relaÃÃo aos sadios (p<0,05). Ao se corrigir para a associaÃÃo alcoolismo + tabagismo ou Ãndice de massa corporal (IMC), desapareceu a significÃncia da menor excreÃÃo de lactulose nos portadores de TBMR. ApÃs a anÃlise multivariada, a mÃdiaÂdesvio-padrÃo (dv) do percentual de excreÃÃo urinÃria do M foi menor no grupo com TBMR em relaÃÃo ao grupo de VS (p=0,0291) e em relaÃÃo ao de TBS (p=0,0369). A relaÃÃo L/M foi semelhante entre os grupos (p=0,4747). A concentraÃÃo sÃrica mÃxima de INH (CHX) mÃdiaÂdesvio-padrÃo foi maior no grupo com TBMR (3,82Â1,18) em relaÃÃo ao VS (2,79Â1,19), p<0,01, nÃo havendo diferenÃa entre TBS e VS nem entre TBMR e TBS. ApÃs a anÃlise multivariada, a CHX aumentou no grupo VS (3,07Â0,24), mas continuou a ser maior no grupo com TBMR e, agora, com diferenÃa significante em relaÃÃo apenas à TBS. Houve CHX < 3 Âg/ml em 18,8% (6/32) dos casos e 56,7% (17/30) dos sadios (p<0,05), nÃo havendo diferenÃa entre TBS, 39,3% (11/28) e sadios. ApÃs a anÃlise multivariada, a mediaÂdp da concentraÃÃo sÃrica mÃxima de RMP (CRX) foi menor no grupo com TBMR do que nos sadios (p<0,05) e no grupo com TBS do que nos sadios (p<0,001), nÃo havendo diferenÃa entre TBMR e TBS. Houve (CRX) < 8 Âg/ml em 90,6% (29/32) dos portadores de TBMR e 66,7% (20/30) dos sadios (p<0,05) e em 82,1% (23/28) do grupo com TBS (em relaÃÃo aos sadios, p<0,05). Em conclusÃo, observou-se reduÃÃo na absorÃÃo transcelular intestinal em pacientes com TBMR versus TBS ou sadios, e os dados sugerem significante participaÃÃo do alcoolismo+tabagismo e IMC na reduÃÃo do transporte paracelular em portadores de TBMR. A CRX foi mais baixa em portadores de TBMR e TBS do que em sadios, com altas proporÃÃes de nÃveis subterapÃuticos de RMP e INH nos trÃs grupos, principalmente para CRX, mas, tambÃm preocupante para CHX. / Reduced antituberculosis drugs concentrations are associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance. This study aims to evaluate intestinal permeability and serum concentrations of rifampin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). A case-control was conducted with outpatients who attended Messejanaâs Hospital in Fortaleza-Cearà from August 2006 to April 2007. MDR-TB (case) was defined as resistance to at least RIF+INH according to the susceptibility test by the proportion method. Two control groups were formed. The drug sensible TB (DS-TB) group defined so when the isolate was sensible to RIF, INHH, streptomycin and ethambutol and the healthy control group (HC). The final MDR-TB, DS-TB and health control groups composition was 41, 33 and 41 respectively, matched by sex and age. Biochemical and haematological examinatios, lactulose:mannitol (L/M) test (to access intestinal absorption) were performed as well as social and clinical interview in all volunteers. To access the serum concentrations two blood samples were collect at two and six hours after RIF and INH ingestion in 32 MDR-TB and 28 DS-TB patients and 30 HC. The drug serum concentrations and L/M test in urine were performed by HPLC. After univariate analysis the median/range of the L and M urinary excretion percentage was significantly lower in MDR-TB patients comparing to HC (p<0.05). Adjusting for alcoholism+tabagism association or Body Mass Index (BMI), this difference disappeared for lactulose. After multivariate analysis the mean  standard (sd) deviation M urinary excretion percentage was lower in MDR-TB than in HC (p=0.0291) group or DS-TB (p=0.0369) group. The L:M ratio did not differ between the groups (p=0.4747). The meanÂsd of the INH maximum serum concentration (HCmax) was higher in MDR-TB (3.82Â1.18) than in HC (2.79Â1.19) group, p<0.01 and there was no difference between DS-TB and HC nor between MDR-TB and DS-TB groups. After multivariate analysis the HCmax increased in HC (3.07Â0.24), but, remained to be higher in MDR-TB group, and now, significantly higher only than DS-TB group. There was HCmax < 3 Âg/ml in 18.8% (6/32) of the cases and 56.7% (17/30) of the HC (p<0.05) and no difference between DS-TB (39.3%, 11/28) and HC. After multivariate analysis the meanÂsd RIF maximum serum concentration (RCmax) was lower in MDR-TB than in HC(p,0.05) and in DS-TB than in HC (p<0.001), with no difference between MDR-TB and DS-TB groups. The RCmax was < 8 Âg/ml in 90.6% (29/32) of the cases and 66.7% (20/30) of HC (p<0.05) and in 82.1% (23/28) of the DS-TB patients (comparing to HC, p<0.05). In conclusion there was reduction in transcellular intestinal absorption in MDR-TB versus DS-TB or HC and the data suggest that alcoholism+tabagism association and BMI have an important role in the reduction of paracellular transport in MDR-TB patients. The RCmax was low in MDR-TB and DS-TB patients with high proportions of subtherapeutic levels in theses groups, mainly for RCmax, but also worrying for HCmax.