Early safety and efficacy of linezolid-based combination therapy among patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis in North-western Nigeria

Background: The emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB) has continued to pose a threat to public health in sub-Saharan Africa and globally. Despite the high burden of tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria, there are paucity of data on the safety and efficacy of newer agents and repurposed drugs used in the treatment of DRTB. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at a regional DRTB treatment center in Kano, Northwestern Nigeria. Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Chi-square or Fisher's exact test were used to analyze the data as appropriate. Results: The median age of the patients was 32 years (interquartile range 26–42 years). Of the 39 patients, 34 (87.18%) were males. The majority of the patients came from the rural areas 25 (64.10%). By 10 months of initiation of combination therapy, 25 (64.10%) of the patients were alive, culture negative and on treatment while 14 (35.90%) of the patients have died. Out of the 39 patients in the cohort, 26 (66.67%) patients had at least one serious adverse event. The most common serious adverse events were hematological disorders (13 [35.14%] of 37 events) and neurological disorders (11 [29.73%] of 37 events). Peripheral neuropathy (P < 0.0001), anemia (P = 0.029), and skin reaction (P = 0.021) occurred more frequently among linezolid interrupters. Conclusions: In conclusion linezolid-based combination therapy, with linezolid at a dose of 600mg daily is associated with satisfactory culture conversion rate by 10 months of therapy. However, linezolid may be associated with peripheral neuropathy that may warrant interruption of the drug.