The HIV/multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) epidemic in the Irkutsk oblast of Eastern Siberia is arguably the most severe in the world. We have found that in the Irkutsk TB Dispensary, the referral hospital for the oblast, all patients wih HIV and primary MDR-TB (no prior history of TB treatment) died during the inpatient phase of treatment. We have also found that genotypic drug-resistance mutations only partially explain the extent of phenotypic resistance that is so widespread in Irkutsk. Suboptimal serum anti-TB drug concentrations amplify such phenotypic resistance and our work in other settings has demonstrated the importance of optimizing pharmacokinetics for drug-susceptible TB. Such foundational work in anti- TB/antiretroviral drug concentrations is lacking for drugs used in the treatment of MDR-TB, and absent in the HIV-infected population. Furthermore, we have found that HIV infection in Irkutsk to be associated with the Beijing TB genotype, commonly found to be MDR, but that mortality was more frequent in those with the M. tuberculosis sublineage Beijing MIT17. Thus taken together we hypothesize that the high early HIV/TB mortality in Irkutsk is due to a combination of (1) complex MDR and extensively drug resistant (XDR)-TB that is incompletely diagnosed and incompletely treated, (2) poor anti-TB/antiretroviral pharmacokinetics that lead to low efficacy and (3) increased circulation of hyper-transmissible and virulent M. tuberculosis sublineages. We will investigate these hypotheses by performing pharmacokinetic sampling of anti-TB and antiretroviral medications in HIV-infected patients initiating therapy at Irkutsk TB Dispensary. We will also perform intensified case-finding among antiretroviral nave patients at the Irkutsk AIDS Centre. Their sputum will be screened for TB (GeneXpert) and positive specimens subjected to conventional methods of culture and drug-susceptibility testing, followed by comparison to quantitative susceptibility (MIC testing), sequencing for drug-resistance mutations, and then genotyping for sublineage identification and transmissibility analysis. This proposal will leverage a strong collaboration with the Institute Epidemiology and Microbiology/Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Irkutsk TB Dispensary with the University of Virginia. We bring together a team of HIV/TB experts from Russia and the U.S.A. with longstanding experience in TB genotyping (Irkutsk), molecular diagnostics and sequencing for TB (Irkutsk/University of Virginia) and HIV/TB pharmacokinetics (University of Virginia). Completion of the proposal will inform better diagnostic strategies and initial therapeutic regimens to combat the early and overwhelming mortality of this dual epidemic.

Public Health Relevance

HIV/multidrug-resistant TB in the Irkutsk Oblast of Eastern Siberia is of increasing in prevalence with overwhelming mortality. This US-Russia collaborative research between the University of Virginia and Irkutsk will examine factors of anti-TB/antiretroviral pharmacokinetics, TB drug-resistance mutations and virulent/transmissible M. tuberculosis sublineages. The foundational work will inform future diagnostic strategies and initial therapeutic regimens.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21AI108521-02
Application #
8793095
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-AARR-H (51))
Program Officer
Srinivasan, Sudha
Project Start
2014-02-01
Project End
2016-01-31
Budget Start
2015-02-01
Budget End
2016-01-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$182,875
Indirect Cost
$39,875
Name
University of Virginia
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
065391526
City
Charlottesville
State
VA
Country
United States
Zip Code
22904
Lyles, Galina; Ogarkov, Oleg; Zhdanova, Svetlana et al. (2018) Pharmacokinetics of tuberculosis drugs in HIV-infected patients from Irkutsk, Russian Federation: redefining drug activity. Eur Respir J 51:
Heysell, S K; Ogarkov, O B; Zhdanova, S et al. (2016) Undertreated HIV and drug-resistant tuberculosis at a referral hospital in Irkutsk, Siberia. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 20:187-92
Pholwat, Suporn; Stroup, Suzanne; Heysell, Scott et al. (2016) eis Promoter C14G and C15G Mutations Do Not Confer Kanamycin Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 60:7522-7523
Ogarkov, O B; Ebers, A; Zhdanova, S et al. (2016) Administrative interventions associated with increased initiation on antiretroviral therapy in Irkutsk, Siberia. Public Health Action 6:252-254
Zhdanova, Svetlana; Heysell, Scott K; Ogarkov, Oleg et al. (2013) Primary multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 2 regions, Eastern Siberia, Russian Federation. Emerg Infect Dis 19:1649-52