Possible Effectiveness of Clarithromycin and Rifabutin for Cryptosporidiosis Chemoprophylaxis in HIV Disease
- Scott D. Holmberg, MD, MPH;
- Anne C. Moorman, BSN, MPH;
- Jennifer C. Von Bargen;
- Frank J. Palella, MD;
- Mark O. Loveless, MD;
- Douglas J. Ward, MD;
- Thomas R. Navin, MD;
- for the HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS) Investigators
- From the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (Dr Holmberg and Mss Moorman and Von Bargen), and the Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases (Dr Navin), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga; Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill (Dr Palella); and Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland (Dr Loveless). Dr Ward is in private practice in Washington, DC.
Abstract
Context.— Cryptosporidium parvum infection, a common cause of diarrhea in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is difficult to treat or prevent.
Objective.— To evaluate relative rates of cryptosporidiosis in HIV-infected patients who were either receiving or not receiving chemoprophylaxis or treatment for Mycobacterium avium complex.
Design.— Analysis of prospectively collected data from HIV-infected patients' visits to their physicians since 1992.
Setting.— Ten (8 private, 2 publicly funded) HIV clinics in 9 US cities.
Patients.— A total of 1019 HIV-infected patients with CD4+ cell counts less than 0.075×109/L.
Main Outcome Measures.— Incidence of clinical cryptosporidiosis during treatment with clarithromycin, rifabutin, and azithromycin.
Results.— Five of the 312 patients reportedly taking clarithromycin developed cryptosporidiosis vs 30 of the 707 patients not taking clarithromycin (relative hazard [RH], 0.25 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.10-0.67]; P =.004).Two of the 214 patients taking rifabutin developed cryptosporidiosis vs 33 of the 805 not taking rifabutin (RH, 0.15 [95% CI, 0.04-0.62]; P=.01). Prophylactic efficacy of either drug was 75% or greater. No protective effect was seen in the 54 patients reportedly taking azithromycin (RH, 1.48 [95% CI, 0.44-5.04]; P=.46).
Conclusions.— Clarithromycin and rifabutin were highly protective against development of cryptosporidiosis in immune-suppressed HIV-infected persons in this analysis; further study is warranted.
