Although
tuberculosis is largely a curable
disease, it remains a major cause of
morbidity and
mortality worldwide. Although the standard 6-month
treatment regimen is highly effective for
drug-susceptible
tuberculosis, the use of multiple
drugs over long periods of
time can cause frequent
adverse drug reactions. In addition, some
patients with
drug-susceptible
tuberculosis do not respond adequately to
treatment and develop
treatment failure and
drug resistance. Response to
tuberculosis treatment could be affected by multiple factors associated with the
host-pathogen interaction including genetic factors and the
nutritional status of the host. These factors should be considered for effective
tuberculosis control. Therefore,
therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), which is individualized
drug dosing guided by
serum drug concentrations during
treatment, and
pharmacogenetics-based personalized dosing guidelines of
anti-tuberculosis drugs could reduce the
incidence of
adverse drug reactions and increase the likelihood of successful
treatment outcomes. Moreover, assessment and management of comorbid conditions including
nutritional status could improve anti-
tuberculosis treatment response.