Pharmacokinetics of Rifampin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, and Ethambutol in Infants Dosed According to Revised WHO-Recommended Treatment Guidelines

Abstract

ABSTRACT There are limited pharmacokinetic data for use of the first-line antituberculosis drugs during infancy (<12 months of age), when drug disposition may differ. Intensive pharmacokinetic sampling was performed in infants routinely receiving antituberculosis treatment, including rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, using World Health Organization-recommended doses. Regulatory-approved single-drug formulations, including two rifampin suspensions, were used on the sampling day. Assays were conducted using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; pharmacokinetic parameters were generated using noncompartmental analysis. Thirty-nine infants were studied; 14 (36%) had culture-confirmed tuberculosis. Fifteen (38%) were premature (<37 weeks gestation); 5 (13%) were HIV infected. The mean corrected age and weight were 6.6 months and 6.45 kg, respectively. The mean maximum plasma concentrations ( C max ) for rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol were 2.9, 7.9, 41.9, and 1.3 μg/ml, respectively (current recommended adult target concentrations: 8 to 24, 3 to 6, 20 to 50, and 2 to 6 μg/ml, respectively), and the mean areas under the concentration-time curves from 0 to 8 h (AUC 0–8 ) were 12.1, 24.7, 239.4, and 5.1 μg · h/ml, respectively. After adjusting for age and weight, rifampin exposures for the two formulations used differed in C max (geometric mean ratio [GMR] , 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.47 to 4.41; P = 0.001) and AUC 0–8 (GMR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.34 to 4.73; P = 0.005). HIV status was associated with lower pyrazinamide C max (GMR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.96; P = 0.013) and AUC 0–8 (GMR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.69 to 0.90; P < 0.001) values. No other important differences were observed due to age, weight, prematurity, ethnicity, or gender. In summary, isoniazid and pyrazinamide concentrations in infants compared well with proposed adult target concentrations; ethambutol concentrations were lower but similar to previously reported pediatric studies. The low rifampin exposures require further investigation. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01637558.)