Fluoroquinolones for treating tuberculosis

A Cochrane review «Fluoroquinolones for treating tuberculosis (presumed drug‐sensitive)»1 « Ziganshina LE, Titarenko AF, Davies GR. Fluoroquinolones for treating tuberculosis (presumed drug-sensitive). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;6():CD004795. »1 included 5 trials (n=1 330) investigating antituberculous regimens based on rifampicin and pyrazinamide and containing fluoroquinolones in people with presumed drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis. The duration of the examined regimens was at least 6 months. A single trial (n=174) added levofloxacin to the standard first-line regimen (HRZE). There was no statistically significant effect on death (RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.03 to 2.47), on sputum conversion at 8 weeks (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.07), nor on adverse events (RR 1.0, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.92). Three trials (723 participants) substituted ethambutol with moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, and ofloxacin into the standard first-line regimen (HRZE). There was no evidence on an effect on relapse (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.17 to 3.06; 1 trial, n=125), death from any cause (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.32), sputum culture conversion at 8 weeks RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.19; 3 trials, n=608), or serious adverse events (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.62; 3 trials, n=723). A single trial (n=433) substituted moxifloxacin for isoniazid. There was no statistically significant effect on death (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.17 to 3.30), sputum culture conversion (RR 1.1, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.33), or serious adverse events (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.43 to 2.80).