The use of TNF-α antagonists in tuberculosis to control severe paradoxical reaction or immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome: a case series and literature review.

Paradoxical reaction (PR) and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) are common complications of tuberculosis treatment. Corticosteroids are first-line treatment for severe PR or IRIS, particularly neurological. We report four cases of severe PR or IRIS during tuberculosis treatment who required TNF-α antagonists, and identified 20 additional cases through literature review. They were 14 women and 10 men, with a median age of 36 years (interquartile range, 28-52). Twelve were immunocompromised before tuberculosis: untreated HIV infection (n=6), or immunosuppressive treatment (TNF-α antagonists, n=5; tacrolimus, n=1). Tuberculosis was mostly neuromeningeal (n=15), pulmonary (n=10), lymph node (n=6), and miliary (n=6), multi-susceptible in 23 cases. PR or IRIS started after a median time of 6 weeks (IQR, 4-9) following anti-tuberculosis treatment start, and consisted primarily of tuberculomas (n=11), cerebral vasculitis (n=8), and lymphadenitis (n=6). First-line treatment of PR or IRIS was high-dose corticosteroids in 23 cases. TNF-α antagonists were used as salvage treatment in all cases, with infliximab (n=17), thalidomide (n=6), and adalimumab (n=3). All patients improved, but 6 had neurological sequelae, and 4 had TNF-α antagonist-related severe adverse events. TNF-α antagonists are safe and effective as salvage or corticosteroid-sparing therapeutic for severe PR or IRIS during tuberculosis treatment.

Infective Endocarditis Related to Unusual Microorganisms: A Prospective Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Increased access to heart valves through early surgery and progress in molecular microbiology have reduced the proportion of infective endocarditis (IE) with no microbiological documentation and increased the proportion of IE associated with unusual microorganisms. METHODS: We performed an ancillary study of a large prospective population-based survey on IE. Unusual-microorganism IE was defined as definite IE (Duke-Li criteria) due to microorganisms other than streptococci, staphylococci, or enterococci. RESULTS: Of 471 cases of documented IE, 46 (9.8%) were due to unusal microorganisms; the following were involved in >1 case: Candida albicans (n = 4), Cutibacterium acnes (n = 4), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 3), Cardiobacterium hominis (n = 3), and Coxiella burnetii (n = 2). Cases were documented with blood cultures (n = 37, 80.4%), heart valve polymerase chain reaction (PCR; n = 5), heart valve culture (n = 2), PCR on vertebral biopsy (n = 1), or serology (n = 1). As compared with IE due to staphylococci, streptococci, or enterococci (n = 420), IE due to unusual microorganisms occurred more frequently in patients with previously known heart disease (69.0% vs 44.3%; P = .002), prosthetic valve (40.5% vs 18.1%; P = .0006), longer duration of fever (mean, 35.1 ± 46.8 days vs 12.5 ± 17.8; P = .003), and who were more often nosocomial (38.1% vs 20.2%; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study, 9.8% of IE cases were due to unusual microorganisms, with a predominance of anaerobes, yeast, and gram-negative bacilli. As compared with IE related to staphylococci, streptococci, or enterococci, IE cases related to unusual microorganisms were associated with previously known heart disease, prosthetic valve, longer duration of fever, and nosocomial acquisition. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ORCID 0000-0003-3617-5411.

In vitro activity of tedizolid and comparator agents against Gram-positive pathogens responsible for bone and joint infections.

Tedizolid, a second-generation oxazolidinone that displays a potent activity against Gram-positive pathogens, could be an interesting option for the treatment of bone and joint infections (BJIs). The aim of the study was to determine minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tedizolid against a collection of 359 clinical isolates involved in clinically-documented BJIs and to compare them to those of comparator agents used in Gram-positive infections. Of the 104 Staphylococcusaureus and 102 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates, 99 and 92 % were categorized as susceptible to tedizolid, respectively (MIC25=0.12/0.25 µg ml-1 and MIC90=0.25/0.5 µg ml-1), regardless of their methicillin resistance. MIC50 and MIC90 for the 51 enterococci, the 50 Corynebacterium spp. and the 52 Propionibacterium spp. were either equal or inferior to 0.5 µg ml-1. Altogether, tedizolid possessed a potent in vitro activity against most of the BJI Gram-positive pathogens with 95 % of them exhibiting a MIC ≤0.5 µg ml-1.