OBJECTIVE: To investigate how levels of the soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) correlate with disease activity and prognosis in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).DESIGN: This was a retrospective analysis of patients with active PTB (n = 500) in Gondar, Ethiopia, for whom the suPAR (n = 301) and ESR (n = 330) were analysed at the start of treatment. Both biomarkers were available for 176 patients. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, chest X-ray (CXR) findings, classification according to the clinical TBscore and treatment outcome were all recorded.RESULTS: In a multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex and HIV status, surrogate markers of disease activity such as advanced CXR patterns correlated with increased levels of suPAR (adjusted OR [aOR] 8.24, P < 0.001) and of ESR (aOR 1.63, P = 0.030), whereas ESR only correlated significantly with a TBscore >6 points. Increased levels of both suPAR and ESR were associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes (aOR 2.93, P = 0.013; aOR 2.52, P = 0.025). The highest quartile of suPAR (aOR 13.3, P = 0.029) but not ESR levels correlated independently with increased mortality.CONCLUSION: SuPAR and ESR levels correlate with disease activity in PTB; however, the clinical role of these potentially prognostic biomarkers needs to be verified in prospective studies.

IntroductionIncreased dosing of rifampicin and pyrazinamide seems a viable strategy to shorten treatment and prevent relapse of drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB), but safety and efficacy remains to be confirmed. This clinical trial aims to explore safety and pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics of a high-dose pyrazinamide-rifampicin regimen.Methods and analysisAdult patients with pulmonary TB admitted to six hospitals in Sweden and subjected to receive first-line treatment are included. Patients are randomised (1:3) to either 6-month standardised TB treatment or a 4-month regimen based on high-dose pyrazinamide (40 mg/kg) and rifampicin (35 mg/kg) along with standard doses of isoniazid and ethambutol. Plasma samples for measurement of drug exposure determined by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry are obtained at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours, at day 1 and 14. Maximal drug concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-24h) are estimated by non-compartmental analysis. Conditions for early model-informed precision dosing of high-dose pyrazinamide-rifampicin are pharmacometrically explored. Adverse drug effects are monitored throughout the study and graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events V.5.0. Early bactericidal activity is assessed by time to positivity in BACTEC MGIT 960 of induced sputum collected at day 0, 5, 8, 15 and week 8. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of first-line drugs are determined using broth microdilution. Disease severity is assessed with X-ray grading and a validated clinical scoring tool (TBscore II). Clinical outcome is registered according to WHO definitions (2020) in addition to occurrence of relapse after end of treatment. Primary endpoint is pyrazinamide AUC0-24h and main secondary endpoint is safety.Ethics and disseminationThe study is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority and the Swedish Medical Products Agency. Informed written consent is collected before study enrolment. The study results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration numberNCT04694586.