Rifampin Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics in the Hollow-Fiber Model of Mycobacterium kansasii Infection

There is limited high-quality evidence to guide the optimal treatment ofMycobacterium kansasii pulmonary disease. We retrospectively collected clinical data from 33 patients withM. kansasii pulmonary disease to determine the time-to-sputum culture conversion (SCC) upon treatment with a standard combination regimen consist of isoniazid-rifampin-ethambutol. Next, MIC experiments with 20 clinical isolates were performed, followed by a dose-response study with the standard laboratory strain using the hollow-fiber system model ofM. kansasii infection (HFS-Mkn ). The inhibitory sigmoid maximum effect (E max ) model was used to describe the relationship between the bacterial burden and rifampin concentrations.