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Reconsidering Adjuvant Immunotherapy for Tuberculosis


Robert S. Wallis

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PPD, Washington, D.C.

Background. Shortened regimens for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) are urgently needed to facilitate its global
eradication. Prolonged treatment is presently required to prevent relapse, which is thought to arise from persisting foci of
semidormant infection contained within granulomas.
Methods. The medical literature was reviewed to identify clinical trials of adjuvant TB immunotherapy, as well as other
studies of the relationship between immune status and TB relapse or reactivation.
Results. Four studies of therapeutic interferon indicated its inability to effectively augment the mycobactericidal capacity of
lung macrophages. One randomized, placebo-controlled trial of therapeutic interleukin-2 found that it delayed the microbiologic
response to treatment, whereas 2 controlled trials of anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapies (high-dose prednisolone and
etanercept [a soluble TNF receptor]) found that these interventions significantly accelerated the response to treatment. Four
retrospective studies were identified in which the response to TB therapy was accelerated and/or the relapse risk was reduced in
persons with human immunodeficiency virus coinfection; one study reported that immune reconstitution syndrome due to use
of antiretroviral therapy was associated with increased risk of relapse. Several studies indicated that granulomas may be efficiently
targeted and disrupted by the anti-TNF antibody infliximab, apparently because of its ability to bind to cell-surface TNF and to
induce apoptosis in TNF-expressing cells.
Conclusions. These findings support the hypothesis that the granulomatous host response to TB may paradoxically protect
sequestered mycobacteria from administered anti-TB therapy and that treatment may be improved by therapeutic disruption of
granulomas. Clinical trials to test this hypothesis are warranted.

Granulomas, the hallmark of the host re- sequestered, semidormant bacilli has be- particular interest, because its extracellular
sponse to mycobacterial infection, repre- come a critical area of research in tuber- bacillary localization may mirror that of
sent a strategy to physically contain infec- culosis, their paucity makes direct study human tuberculosis. Karakousis and col-
tions that cannot otherwise be eradicated in vivo problematic. Therefore, most re- leagues found that the mycobacteria con-
by host defenses (figure 1). The sequential search on this question has been per- tained within these lesions quickly adapted
recruitment of cells to the site of Myco- formed using in vitro models, such as to the altered environment, showing
bacterium tuberculosis infection forms a oxygen deprivation or intracellular growth stationary colony-forming unit (CFU)
physical barrier to mycobacterial dissem- in macrophages [1–9]. These models have counts, decreased metabolism, altered
ination and creates a hostile microenvi- identified metabolic pathways (e.g., the gene-expression profiles (including acti-
ronment in which oxygen tension, pH, glyoxylate shunt pathway) and 2-com- vation of Rv3133c/DosR), and decreased
and micronutrient supply are all likely re-
ponent regulatory systems (Rv3133c/ susceptibility to the bactericidal effects of
duced. Faced with this environment, my-
DosR) required for mycobacterial per- isoniazid. Isoniazid is thought to mainly
cobacteria undergo profound alterations
sistence. kill metabolically active, replicating bacilli,
in metabolism, biosynthesis, and replica-
Karakousis et al. [10] recently reported during the early phase of therapy. As a
tion. This adaptation forms the basis of
a study of the biology of dormancy using consequence, it has little sterilizing effect,
clinical latency in tuberculosis. Although
artificial granulomas that comprised hol- which has been defined in clinical trials as
the elucidation of the biology of these
low, M. tuberculosis–containing, semiper- the ability to shorten therapy and prevent
meable microfibers implanted subcuta- relapse. This is therefore the first experi-
Received 2 January 2005; accepted 14 March 2005;
electronically published 31 May 2005. neously in mice. The fibers, which permit mental model in which granulomas in-
Reprints or correspondence: Dr. Robert S. Wallis, 1213 N diffusion of nutrients and soluble medi- terfered with sterilization.
Street NW, Ste. A, Washington, DC 20005 (robert.wallis@
columbia.ppdi.com). ators but exclude intact cells, rapidly be- Treatment of active tuberculosis pres-
Clinical Infectious Diseases 2005; 41:201–8 come surrounded by macrophages and ently requires 6 months of multidrug
 2005 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All
rights reserved.
lymphocytes. The model requires intact treatment. Relapses occur if patient ad-
1058-4838/2005/4102-0009$15.00 cellular host immune responses; it is of herence is inadequate. Even after optimal

Reconsidering TB Adjuvant Immunotherapy • CID 2005:41 (15 July) • 201


of administration failed to meet even this
modest measure of success (table 1) [19–
21]. The only randomized, placebo-con-
trolled, multicenter trial of inhaled ad-
junctive IFN-g for MDR tuberculosis was
initiated by InterMune in 2000 [22]. The
trial was halted prematurely because of a
lack of efficacy; its findings have never
been published. Subsequent research has
indicated that IFN-g–induced genes, such

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as IP-10 and iNOS, are already upregu-
lated in the lung in patients with tuber-
culosis and that therapeutic aerosol IFN-
g has relatively little additional effect [23].
These findings indicate that the modest
mycobactericidal capacity of lung mac-
Figure 1. Tuberculous lung granuloma. The central region of multinucleated giant cells, myco- rophages cannot effectively be augmented
bacteria, and necrotic debris are surrounded by concentric rings of tightly apposed epithelioid cells by therapeutic IFN.
and lymphocytes, with smaller numbers of neutrophils, plasma cells, and fibroblasts. IL-2. IL-2 promotes T cell replication
and is essential for cellular immune func-
tion and granuloma formation. In 1997,
treatment, relapses occur in ∼5% of cases. cators of increased relapse risk in patients
a small, unblinded study of 2 low-dose IL-
It is believed that the requirement for pro- with tuberculosis [12–14]. However, the
2 regimens (daily or in 5-day “pulses”) in
longed treatment reflects the relative in- use of these end points has the potential
patients with MDR tuberculosis found
activity of current drugs against semidor- disadvantage that they require that the ex-
that the daily regimen appeared to de-
mant organisms contained in granulomas; perimental treatment be administered
crease sputum acid-fast bacilli counts [24].
however, this hypothesis has never explic- during the initial phase of tuberculosis
On the basis of this preliminary obser-
itly been tested. The long duration of treat- therapy.
vation, a randomized, double-blind, pla-
ment poses a major obstacle to global tu-
berculosis eradication. For this reason, the cebo-controlled trial of the effect of IL-2
CLINICAL TRIALS
development of new treatments capable of on conversion of sputum culture results
OF ADJUNCTIVE
shortening the duration of tuberculosis was conducted by the Case Western Re-
IMMUNOTHERAPY
treatment is recognized as a major objec- serve University Tuberculosis Research
tive of tuberculosis drug discovery [11]. IFN-g. IFN-g is essential for antimy- Unit (Cleveland, OH) with 110 Ugandan,
The design of clinical trials to test cobacterial host defenses [15]. In mice, HIV-uninfected patients with drug-sus-
new treatments poses several challenges. IFN-g increases the mycobactericidal ca- ceptible tuberculosis [25]. IL-2 or placebo
The existence of effective but inefficient pacity of macrophages by promoting the was administered twice daily for the first
standard “short-course” therapy makes production of reactive nitrogen interme- month of standard therapy. Contrary to
conventional trials prolonged, large, and diates, such as nitric oxide [16, 17]. The expectations, the study found significant
costly. As a result, most studies of adju- first trial of therapeutic IFN-g in patients delays in clearance of viable M. tuberculosis
vant tuberculosis immunotherapy have with tuberculosis without overt defects of CFU and conversion of sputum culture
adopted an alternative strategy, testing IFN-g production or responsiveness was results in the IL-2 treatment arm (figure
new treatments in patients with multidrug reported in 1997 by Condos et al. [18]. In 2). This report was the first clinical indi-
resistant (MDR) disease or substituting this uncontrolled study, 500 mg of IFN-g cation of possible antagonism during
surrogate markers that indicate relapse was administered 3 times per week by aer- combined chemotherapy and immuno-
risk (such as 2-month sputum culture osol to 5 patients with MDR tuberculosis therapy for tuberculosis.
status or time to conversion of sputum in addition to their previous therapy. The TNF. TNF, like IFN-g, is essential for
culture results) as the main outcome mea- study found that sputum smear results be- host defenses against tuberculosis. TNF is
sure. Delayed sputum culture conversion came negative and that the number of a potent proinflammatory cytokine that is
and a reduced rate of decline in log spu- CFUs tended to decrease. Three similar expressed by macrophages and T cells, first
tum counts (in CFUs) during the first subsequent studies by other investigators as a cell-surface–associated cytokine, and
month of treatment are recognized indi- that differed in IFN type, dose, and route then, after cleavage of membrane-anchor-

202 • CID 2005:41 (15 July) • Wallis


Table 1. Clinical trials of adjunctive IFN for treatment of multidrug-resistant pul- was to examine the role of TNF in the
monary tuberculosis. acceleration of HIV disease progression
due to tuberculosis; as such, their main
No. of
Reference subjects Regimen Outcome
end points were CD4 cell count and
plasma HIV RNA load. However, both
Condos et al. [18] 5 500 mg of IFN-g 3 times Sputum smear results be-
per week by aerosol for came negative; trend to- studies prospectively collected clinical and
1 month ward reduced numbers microbiologic data as indicators of safety.
of CFUs Etanercept (soluble TNF receptor).
Giosuè et al. [19] 7 3 MU of IFN-a 3 times Transient improvement in
A phase I study examined the effects of
per week by aerosol for sputum smear results;
etanercept (25 mg sc twice weekly for 8

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2 months minimal effect on the
numbers of CFUs doses) given to 16 subjects, starting on day
Suarez-Mendez 5 1 MU of IFN-g daily, then Not evaluable because of 4 of tuberculosis treatment [43]. Re-
et al. [20] 3 times per week im for simultaneous changes
6 months in chemotherapy
sponses were compared with those for 42
Koh et al. [21] 6 2 MU of IFN-g 3 times No microbiologic effect CD4 cell count–matched control subjects.
per week by aerosol for Conversion of sputum culture results oc-
6 months curred a median of 7 days earlier in the
NOTE. CFU, colony-forming unit. etanercept arm (P p .04) (figure 3). Eta-
nercept was well tolerated. There were no
ing domains, as a soluble homotrimer [26, regions [42], and the risk may increase by serious opportunistic infections. CD4 cell
27]. TNF stimulates the release of inflam- as much as 20-fold in patients treated with counts increased by 96 cells/mL after 1
matory cytokines, endothelial adhesion TNF antagonists (see “Can Granulomas month of etanercept treatment (P p .1,
molecules, and chemokines. Be Targeted Efficiently?,” below). for comparison with control subjects); this
TNF plays a central role in the host re- Two controlled clinical trials have ex- effect may have been associated with in-
sponse to M. tuberculosis. Monocytes ex- amined the effects of potent immunosup- hibition of apoptosis [44, 45]. The eta-
press TNF after phagocytosis of mycobac- pressive and/or anti-TNF therapies on mi- nercept arm also showed trends toward
teria or after stimulation by mycobacterial crobiologic outcomes in tuberculosis. superior resolution of lung infiltrates, clo-
proteins or glycolipids [26, 28–30]. TNF Both were conducted with HIV-1–infected sure of lung cavities, improvement in per-
is expressed at the site of disease in patients patients who had relatively preserved tu- formance score, and weight gain; these
with newly diagnosed tuberculosis [31– berculosis immune responses (based on findings approached statistical signifi-
33]. TNF levels increase shortly after ini- the presence of high CD4 cell counts and cance, despite the small number of treated
tiation of antituberculosis therapy [33], cavitary lung disease). The trials shared a subjects.
possibly because of a release of microbial single placebo control arm (for tubercu- High-dose methylprednisolone. A
constituents that stimulate TNF produc- losis therapy only). Their main objective substantially greater microbiologic effect
tion [34–36]. Levels subsequently decrease
as the bacillary burden is reduced by treat-
ment [31].
TNF is essential for the formation and
maintenance of granulomas. Neutraliza-
tion of TNF in experimental animals in-
terferes with the early recruitment of
inflammatory cells to the site of M. tu-
berculosis infection and inhibits the orderly
formation of granulomas [37, 38]. In ad-
dition, TNF blockade also reduces the mi-
crobicidal activity of macrophages and NK
cells [39, 40]. As a result, animals deficient
in TNF are highly susceptible to granu-
lomatous infections [41]. Recent studies
also indicate that the risk of tuberculosis
is increased several-fold in individuals Figure 2. Deleterious effect of IL-2 on sputum microbiologic end points in a study of 110 subjects
with polymorphisms in TNF-promoter with pulmonary tuberculosis. Adapted from [25]. CFU, colony-forming units.

Reconsidering TB Adjuvant Immunotherapy • CID 2005:41 (15 July) • 203


logic response to therapy, an effect oth-
erwise associated with decreased risk of
relapse. Can these trials then be broadly
interpreted as indicating a potential ther-
apeutic benefit conferred by adjunctive
antigranuloma therapy in tuberculosis?
Several caveats are appropriate before
this question can be answered definitive-
ly. No surrogate markers have yet been
fully validated as predictors of tuberculosis

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relapse or indicators of the effectiveness of
new tuberculosis therapies. Moreover, ex-
perience with these markers during con-
ventional antituberculosis therapy may
not necessarily predict the experience dur-
Figure 3. Acceleration of conversion of sputum culture results associated with receipt of eta-
ing immunotherapy. In mice, neither prior
nercept and high-dose methylprednisolone (2.75 mg/kg/day) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Each symbol represents an individual subject. Results for etanercept and high-dose methylpredni- bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccina-
solone treatments differed from those for control subjects by Kaplan-Meier analysis (P p .04 and tion nor concurrent corticosteroid therapy
.001, respectively). Adapted from [43, 46]. significantly affected the response to an-
tituberculosis therapy [53, 54]. The mouse
may be a poor model in which to study
was observed a phase II study reported by was not due to reduced sputum produc-
the therapeutic effects of granuloma dis-
Mayanja-Kizza et al. [46] in which 189 tion, which decreased similarly during
ruption, however, because murine tuber-
subjects who were treated with prednis- treatment in both study arms. There were
culosis granulomas are loose collections of
olone (2.75 mg/kg/day) or placebo during no serious opportunistic infections. How-
activated and epithelioid macrophages
the first month of standard tuberculosis ever, prednisolone-treated subjects were
and lymphocytes that lack the multinu-
therapy. The prednisolone dosage had more likely to experience other early se-
cleated giant cells, necrosis, caseation, and
been selected on the basis of a phase I rious adverse events, including edema, hy-
study indicating that it reduced the rate cavitation characteristic of human pa-
perglycemia, electrolyte disturbances, and
of tuberculosis-stimulated TNF produc- thology [55, 56]. In humans, cavitary dis-
severe hypertension.
tion ex vivo by one-half. The daily dose ease is associated with delayed sputum cul-
Two other prospective, randomized tri-
was tapered to 0 mg/kg during the second ture conversion and increased risk of
als of adjunctive corticosteroids adminis-
month; the average subject received a cu- subsequent relapse [14].
tered at lower doses have observed similar,
mulative dose of 16500 mg. Although Tuberculosis granulomas in the guinea
albeit smaller, effects on the kinetics of
there is extensive experience with the use pig and rabbit more closely resemble those
conversion of sputum culture results [48,
of corticosteroids to ameliorate symptoms of humans. Prior vaccination with BCG
49]. A third trial found no effect [50].
of tuberculosis, no previous studies have reduces the bactericidal activity of isoni-
There have been no reports of deleterious
examined the microbiologic effects of azid in the guinea pig, whereas it does not
effects of corticosteroids on microbiologic
doses of this magnitude. Unexpectedly, in the mouse [53]. No analogous studies
outcomes in patients with tuberculosis.
one-half of prednisolone-treated subjects have yet examined the effects of cortico-
had conversion of sputum culture results steroids or TNF blockers during tuber-
DO GRANULOMAS INTERFERE
to negative after 1 month of treatment, culosis therapy in the guinea pig. Some
WITH STERILIZATION?
compared with 10% of subjects in the pla- TNF blockers (including infliximab) are
cebo arm (P p .001) (figure 3). This effect The incidence of tuberculosis is elevated highly specific for human TNF [57]. The
was of greater magnitude than that ob- among patients who are treated with pred- lack of highly potent, specific TNF antag-
served in the landmark study in which the nisone or etanercept [51, 52], indicating onists for the guinea pig or rabbit limits
addition of rifampin to a 6-month regi- that these treatments interfere with gran- the present role of these animal models in
men of streptomycin and isoniazid re- uloma formation and/or maintenance in addressing this question.
duced the relapse rate from 29% to 2% humans, as they do in experimental ani- AIDS, like high-dose corticosteroid
and to increase the 2-month sputum cul- mals. Yet, paradoxically, when adminis- therapy, profoundly inhibits the granulo-
ture conversion rate from 49% to 69% tered to patients with active tuberculosis, matous response to mycobacterial infec-
[47]. The effect of prednisolone therapy these treatments accelerate the microbio- tion. Unlike iatrogenic immunosuppres-

204 • CID 2005:41 (15 July) • Wallis


sion, immune dysfunction due to AIDS termed “immune reconstitution inflam- per 100,000 person-years during the first
may either worsen because of HIV disease matory syndrome” (IRIS), occurs most of- 90 days of infliximab therapy, compared
progression or improve after initiation of ten in patients with far-advanced AIDS with 11 cases per 100,000 person-years for
antiretroviral therapy, thus complicating who have both pulmonary and extrapul- etanercept therapy and 5 cases per 100,000
the analysis of its effects on antitubercu- monary tuberculosis. Patients with IRIS person-years in the United States as a
losis therapy. Only 1 prospective study of typically are anergic prior to starting an- whole [63, 64]. The risk posed by inflix-
the influence of HIV infection on tuber- tiretroviral therapy but rapidly have con- imab subsequently decreases (consistent
culosis relapse in the absence of antiret- version to strongly positive tuberculin skin with reactivation of preexisting latent in-
roviral therapy has been reported [58]. In test results as the syndrome evolves. They fection), whereas that of etanercept does
it, Sonnenberg and colleagues studied re- experience “paradoxical” reactions to not (consistent with the inability to con-

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current tuberculosis in a cohort of 326 treatment (i.e., worsened fever, pulmonary tain incident tuberculosis infection) [52].
South African miners with and without infiltrates, lymphadenopathy, etc.) due to Granulomatous infections other than tu-
HIV infection, using restriction fragment– immune reconstitution. One study by berculosis are similarly more common
length polymorphism analysis to distin- Narita et al. [62] found a 6-fold increased among infliximab-treated patients [65–
guish true relapses from disease due to risk of subsequent tuberculosis relapse in 67].
reinfection. Although the total rate of re- patients who experienced IRIS during Corresponding differences between in-
currence was increased by HIV-1 infec- early tuberculosis treatment. fliximab and etanercept exist in their ther-
tion, strain typing revealed that these cases apeutic indications. Only infliximab is
were primarily due to reinfection (the rate CAN GRANULOMAS BE effective for treatment of chronic granu-
of which increased 18-fold) rather than TARGETED EFFICIENTLY? lomatous inflammatory diseases, such as
true relapse (the rate of which was reduced Crohn disease, sarcoidosis, or Wegener
Formal testing of the hypothesis that gran-
by one-half). granulomatosis [68–71]. In patients with
uloma disruption accelerates the response
Several additional studies using surro- to tuberculosis therapy will require an ef- Crohn disease, a single dose of infliximab
gate markers support the observation that ficient means to target and disrupt human can induce long-lasting remissions and
HIV infection may improve the effective- granulomas. Experience with predniso- closure of chronic enteric fistulas [72].
ness of antituberculous therapy. A com- lone indicates that corticosteroids may not This effect is not readily explained by the
bined analysis of Tuberculosis Trials Con- be the best intervention with which to test pharmacokinetics of its binding to soluble
sortium Studies 22 and 23 indicates that this hypothesis, because the high doses TNF, but may rather reflect its capacity to
2-month sputum culture conversion rates that appear to be required to produce a induce apoptosis in activated monocytes
for HIV-infected patients were superior to therapeutic effect are associated with a and lymphocytes by binding to cell-sur-
those for noninfected patients (94% vs. substantial risk of early serious adverse face TNF [73–76]. This mechanism, which
78%; P ! .05) [59]. Two small treatment events [46]. This safety profile likely will presumably kills TNF-expressing cells that
trials using other sputum surrogate mark- prevent high-dose prednisolone therapy constitute granulomas, is presently the
ers concur with this observation [13, 60]. from becoming a first-line treatment, even subject of ongoing research.
Lastly, a large, multicenter study of tu- if other aspects of therapeutic efficacy in Infliximab has not yet been studied as
berculosis chemotherapy for HIV-infected tuberculosis could be established. adjunctive therapy for tuberculosis. For
persons initiated jointly by AIDS Clinical The treatment of other chronic inflam- such a study to be performed safely and
Trials Group and the Terry Beirn Com- matory conditions, such as rheumatoid ethically, its design must ensure that sub-
munity Programs for Clinical Research on arthritis, has been transformed in the past jects are not exposed to an undue risk of
AIDS in the pre-HAART era found that decade by the development of targeted disseminated or uncontrolled mycobac-
195% of subjects had conversion of spu- therapies that block specific aspects of the terial infection. Such a study could only
tum culture results to negative by week 8 inflammatory cascade, such as TNF, while be conducted with fully drug-susceptible
of the study and that the main end point avoiding the recognized toxicities of high- cases; indeed, in MDR cases, containment
(relapse) could not be assessed because dose corticosteroid therapy. Several stud- remains a viable alternative to eradication.
rates were unexpectedly low in all treat- ies indicate that infliximab (anti-TNF The trials of etanercept and methylpred-
ment arms [61]. antibody), may be highly effective in dis- nisolone described earlier indicate that
Some patients who begin receiving rupting established granulomas, because other potent anti-inflammatory and anti-
combined treatment for AIDS and tuber- reactivation of latent granulomatous in- TNF treatments do not per se pose a sig-
culosis experience a particularly rapid re- fections has been one of its most fre- nificant risk to patients with pulmonary
covery of tuberculosis-specific immune quently reported serious adverse effects. tuberculosis, even to those with HIV coin-
functions. This syndrome, which has been Tuberculosis occurs at a rate of 95 cases fection. This risk may be further reduced

Reconsidering TB Adjuvant Immunotherapy • CID 2005:41 (15 July) • 205


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