Influenza-Like Reactions To Latent TB Treatment Not Mediated By Drug Antibodies, Study Shows

Infectious Disease Advisor (6/11, Nye) reports, “Influenza-like reactions in patients with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection receiving weekly isoniazid plus rifapentine for 3 months (3HP) or daily isoniazid for 9 months (9H) were not found to be mediated by the presence of drug antibodies, according to findings published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.” In the study, “in the 3HP group, the percentage of patients with immunoglobulin (Ig) G or IgM antibodies against isoniazid, rifampin, and rifapentine did not significantly differ between those with vs without influenza-like reaction.” Meanwhile, “among 9H recipients, none of those who developed influenza-like reactions tested positive for any antibodies, whereas 2%, 9%, 6%, and 2% of control patients tested positive for anti-rifapentine IgM, anti-isoniazid IgG and IgM, anti-rifampin IgM, and anti-rifapentine metabolite IgM antibodies, respectively.”