No impact of rifamycin selection on tuberculosis treatment outcome in HIV coinfected patients.

Rifabutin has been substituted for rifampicin when treating tuberculosis (TB)/HIV coinfection. However, despite reports of anti-TB treatment failure and acquired rifamycin resistance, long-term clinical outcome data are lacking. Observational analyses performed in a UK TB/HIV cohort demonstrated no difference in severe adverse events, anti-TB treatment completion, relapse frequency or subsequent rifamycin resistance when rifampicin and rifabutin were compared, using different combinations of antiretroviral therapy. Our data support the wider use of rifabutin in TB/HIV coinfection.