Tuberculosis in renal transplant recipients: rifampicin sparing treatment protocol.

The reactivation of mycobacterium infection in renal transplant recipients in developing countries is a common therapeutic dilemma, especially in those patients receiving cyclosporin immunosuppression. The inclusion of rifampicin in the antituberculosis protocol increases the risk of precipitating acute allograft rejection due to its interaction with cyclosporin and also increases the financial burden. We successfully treated 16 patients who developed mycobacterial infection post renal transplant with a rifampicin sparing antituberculosis drug regimen. Pyrexia of unknown origin was the most common manifestation observed and a therapeutic trial with antituberculosis drugs is justified. De novo diabetes mellitus appears to be an added risk factor and increases the susceptibility to mycobacterial infection.