Effect of diabetes mellitus on TB drug concentrations in Tanzanian patients.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with poor TB treatment outcome. Previous studies examining the effect of DM on TB drug concentrations yielded conflicting results. No studies have been conducted to date in an African population.

Pharmacokinetics of first-line tuberculosis drugs in Tanzanian patients.

East Africa has a high tuberculosis (TB) incidence and mortality, yet there are very limited data on exposure to TB drugs in patients from this region. We therefore determined the pharmacokinetic characteristics of first-line TB drugs in Tanzanian patients using intensive pharmacokinetic sampling. In 20 adult TB patients, plasma concentrations were determined just before and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 24 h after observed drug intake with food to estimate the areas under the curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0-24) and peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol.

Efavirenz, tenofovir and emtricitabine combined with first-line tuberculosis treatment in tuberculosis-HIV-coinfected Tanzanian patients: a pharmacokinetic and safety study.

Background: To evaluate the effect of rifampicin-based tuberculosis (TB) treatment on the pharmacokinetics of efavirenz/tenofovir/emtricitabine in a fixed-dose combination tablet, and vice versa, in Tanzanian TB-HIV-coinfected patients.

Methods: This was a Phase II open-label multiple dose pharmacokinetic and safety study. This study was conducted in TB-HIV-coinfected Tanzanian patients who started TB treatment (rifampicin/isoniazid/pyrazinamide/ethambutol) at week 1 to week 8 and continued with rifampicin and isoniazid for another 16 weeks.

The aetiology, management and clinical outcome of upper gastrointestinal bleeding among patients admitted at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi, Tanzania.

Upper gastro-intestinal (GI) bleeding is a life-threatening emergency that results in high morbidity and mortality and therefore requires admission to hospital for urgent diagnosis and management. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of upper GI bleeding and clinical outcome of patients admitted to medical department with the diagnosis of upper GI bleeding. A retrospective study of records of all upper GI bleeding patients who were admitted to medical department, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) from January 2007 to December 2008 was conducted.

Childhood tuberculosis in the Kilimanjaro region: lessons from and for the TB programme.

Objective: To determine the magnitude of childhood TB and treatment outcome in Kilimanjaro region.

Methods: Retrospective review of registration-based data on TB notifications in Kilimanjaro region for the period 2002-2006.

Results: Between 2002 and 2006, there were 1615 patients of childhood TB in Kilimanjaro region constituting 13% of total TB burden and the average case detection rate was 147/100 000 for urban and 41.