Objectives: Although high-dose rifampicin holds promise for improving tuberculosis disease control by eradication of persistent bacteria, the optimal dose of rifampicin that kills persistent bacteria and shortens the treatment duration is unknown.
Methods: The Cornell mouse model was used to test the efficacy of rifampicin at elevated doses combined with isoniazid and pyrazinamide to kill actively growing and persistent bacilli and to measure relapse rate. Persistent bacteria were evaluated using Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture supernatant containing resuscitation-promoting factors. Pharmacokinetic parameters and dose-dependent activity for cultivable and persistent bacilli were determined.
Results: Increasing doses of rifampicin in combination with isoniazid and pyrazinamide resulted in dose-dependent faster bacterial clearance. Evaluated both on solid media and in culture filtrate containing resuscitation-promoting factors, a regimen containing a standard dose of rifampicin at 10 mg/kg over 14 weeks failed to achieve organ sterility. In contrast, higher doses of rifampicin achieved organ sterility in a much shorter time of 8-11 weeks. Disease relapse, which occurred in 86% of mice treated with the standard regimen for 14 weeks, was completely prevented by rifampicin doses of ≥ 30 mg/kg.
Conclusions: In the treatment of murine tuberculosis, a rifampicin dose of 30 mg/kg was sufficient to eradicate persistent M. tuberculosis, allowing shorter treatment duration without disease relapse.