• Jong Wook Yun, Seong Yong Lim, Gee Young Suh, Man Pyo Chung, Hojoong Kim, KwonO JungOJ, Hoon-Suk Cha, Eun-Mi Koh, and Won-Jung Koh.
• Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
• J. Korean Med. Sci. 2007 Oct 1; 22 (5): 779-83.

AbstractTumor necrosis factor (TNF) is essential for host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) increases with anti-TNF therapy. This study estimated the prevalence of LTBI and evaluated the safety and completion rate of short-course therapy with isoniazid plus rifampin for 3 months to treat LTBI in a cohort of Korean arthritis patients before initiating anti-TNF therapy. We retrospectively studied the files of 112 consecutive patients to evaluate LTBI before starting anti-TNF drugs. Screening tests were performed, including a tuberculin skin test and chest radiography. LTBI treatment was indicated in 41 patients (37%). Of these, three patients refused the LTBI treatment. Of the 38 patients who underwent LTBI treatment, 36 (95%) took isoniazid plus rifampin for 3 months. Six patients (16%) showed transient elevations of liver enzymes during the LTBI treatment. Overall, 35 patients (92%) completed the LTBI treatment as planned. In conclusion, LTBI was diagnosed in one-third of Korean arthritis patients before initiating anti-TNF therapy. A high percentage of these patients completed 3 months of LTBI treatment with isoniazid plus rifampin without serious complications.

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