Comparative Levels of Rifampicin in Serum and Saliva in Tuberculosis Patients by HPLC Method

Abstract

BACKGROUNDTuberculosis is a deadly disease, which can be cured only by anti-tuberculosis therapy. Anti-tuberculosis therapy will be effective only when the drugs are given in ideal combinations and doses, which can achieve adequate Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) in the tissues. Slow response to Tuberculosis (TB) therapy in spite of good adherence may lead to prolonged infectiousness or acquired drug resistance, which further burdens public health systems by extending treatment duration. Hence, there is a need for measuring therapeutic drug concentrations in patients on anti-tuberculosis therapy, at least in special comorbid conditions like diabetes mellitus and HIV. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is a sensitive and specific method of measuring rifampicin levels.