The clinical activity of TMC207 validates ATP synthase as a viable target for the treatment of tuberculosis. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00449644.)

South African Medical Research Council, European Union Framework 7 program, and European Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership.

No abstract

Patients who have completed a treatment for severe pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) are often left with severe respiratory disability. There have been few prospective studies assessing the effect of treatment on lung function in such patients. The influence of antimicrobial chemotherapy on lung function was investigated over a six month period in patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary TB to test the hypothesis that treatment improves lung function, as well as to identify factors that may influence lung function outcome. Seventy-six patients were recruited into the study, of whom 74 completed the treatment programme. Forty-two were current smokers and 13 seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus. Improvement in lung function occurred in 54% of patients, but residual airflow limitation or a restrictive pattern was evident in 28% and 24% of patients, respectively. The extent of lung infiltration (radiographic score) both at the outset and after chemotherapy was significantly and negatively related to forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (% pred) (r=-0.41, and r=-0.46, respectively). The post-treatment serum C-reactive protein and alpha1-protease inhibitor levels were negatively associated with FEV1 (% pred) (r=-0.30 and r=-0.35, respectively). These findings demonstrate that, while antimicrobial chemotherapy may lead to improved lung function in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, a large proportion of patients has residual impairment. The most significant factor influencing post-treatment lung function status, as measured by forced expiratory volume in one second (% predicted), is the pretreatment and post-treatment radiographic score, which acts as a marker of the extent of pulmonary parenchymal involvement in tuberculosis.

Background A prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine is a global health priority. Objective To assess a novel vaccine platform as a prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine regimen. Design/Setting This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessed two candidate HIV-1 vaccines (Ad26.EnvA and Ad35-Env both at 5×1010 vp) in homologous and heterologous combinations in three geographic regions (US, East and South Africa). Both subjects and study personnel were blinded to treatment allocation. (NCT 01215149). Patients Healthy HIV uninfected adults. Measurements Safety and immunogenicity were assessed and the impact of baseline vector immunity was analyzed. Results 217 subjects received at least 1 vaccination and 210 (>96%) completed follow-up, No vaccine-associated serious adverse events occurred. All regimens were generally well tolerated though more vaccine recipients had transient moderate or severe systemic reactions (36.5%) compared to placebo recipients (20.5%). All regimens elicited humoral and cellular immune responses in nearly all volunteers. There was no impact of pre-existing Ad26 or Ad35 neutralizing antibody titers on vaccine safety and little on immunogenicity. In both homologous and heterologous regimens the second vaccination significantly increased EnvA antibody titers (~20 fold from median ELISA titers of 30–300 to 3000). The heterologous regimen Ad26-Ad35 elicited significantly higher EnvA antibody titers than Ad35-Ad26. T cell responses were modest and lower in East Africa than in South Africa and the United States. Conclusions Both vaccines elicited significant immune responses in all populations. Baseline vector immunity did not have a significant impact on immune responses. Second vaccinations in all regimens significantly boosted EnvA titers though vaccine order in the heterologous regimen had a modest effect on the immune response. Primary Funding IAVI, NIAID/NIH, and the Ragon Institute in collaboration with Crucell Holland BV.