Evaluating the Efficacy of Capreomycin and Levofloxacin Combination Therapy in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients

Abstract

Capreomycin (CMN) paired with levofloxacin (LEV) was tested in patients with multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-PTB) for efficacy and immune function. The control group (40 cases) received conventional treatment and the observation group (40 cases) received CMN combined with LEV were established. Three months of intensification therapy and eighteen months of consolidation therapy were performed. The therapeutic effects (sputum negative conversion, lesion absorption, cavity shrinkage, and total effective rates), CD4⁺, CD8⁺, immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgM, IgG, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (ALT), and alanine aminotransferase (AST) were assessed. Adverse reactions were compared. After treatment, the observation group performed at a higher sputum negative conversion rate, lesion absorption rate, cavity shrinkage rate, and total effective rate than the control group; CD4⁺, IgA, IgM, IgG, and IL-17 were increased and CD8⁺, IL-6, and TNF-α were decreased in both groups, and all of them were improved significantly in the observation group; ALP, ALT, and AST were elevated in both groups, but the differences between the observation and control groups were comparable. CMN combined with LEV is highly effective for MDR-PTB patients, enhancing immune function and reducing inflammation while having minimal effects on liver function.