Abstract
Purpose
Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of IL-2 in the treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis.
Methods
First, the cases of diagnosed drug-susceptible tuberculosis were randomized into two groups—the control group that received the background regimen of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, and the experimental group that received the background regimen plus IL-2. The efficacy and safety evaluations were performed throughout the therapy process as well as 12 months after the treatment completion.
Results
A total of 1151 patients underwent the randomization, among which 539 (96.2%) of the 560 in the experimental group achieved the sputum culture conversion to negative, compared to the 551 (93.2%) of the 591 in the control group, after 2 months of treatment, with significant difference observed between the groups (P = 0.025). Cavity closure after 2 months in the IL-2 (experimental) group was 60/211 (28.4%) compared to 46/248 (18.5%) in the control group, with a significant difference between the groups (P = 0.001). After treatment completion, the proportion of favorable outcomes was 559/560 (99.8%) in the experimental group and 587/591 (99.3%) in the control group, with no significant difference between the groups. Twelve months after treatment completion, relapse occurred in 15/560 (2.6%) in the IL-2 group and 19/591 (3.2%) in the control group, with no significant difference.
Conclusion
IL-2 may enhance culture conversion and the cavity closure rate in the early treatment phase, although the enhancement may not be significant after treatment completion.
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Data availability
The data sets used or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Code availability
Not applicable.
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Funding
This research was funded by 12th and 13th Five National Major Scientific and Technological Projects [2017ZX09304009 and 2015ZX10003001-002].
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WN protocol design and paper writing; JW and JZ: laboratory operating; QW, YD, QT, WX, QD, GD, XL, ZL, JZ, JP, KL, LC, HD, CZ, QJ, XC, JC, NW, YC, CQ, AD, PR, YL, CL, SC, HL, HY: sample selecting; NC protocol reviewing and paper revising.
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The protocol of the present study was approved by the ethics committee of the Beijing Chest Hospital affiliated with the Capital Medical University.
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Nie, W., Wang, J., Zeng, J. et al. Adjunctive interleukin-2 for the treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis: a randomized control trial in China. Infection 50, 413–421 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-021-01698-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-021-01698-3