Isoniazid for preventing tuberculosis in non-HIV infected persons

Although isoniazid (INH) is commonly used for treating tuberculosis (TB), it is also effective as preventive therapy.

The objective of this review was to estimate the effect of 6 and 12 month courses of INH for preventing TB in HIV-negative people at increased risk of developing active TB.

We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group trials register, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline, Embase and reference lists of articles. We hand-searched Science Citation Index and Index Medicus.

Randomised trials of INH preventive therapy for 6 months or more compared with placebo. Follow-up for a minimum of 2 years. Trials enrolling patients with current or previously treated active TB, or with known HIV infection, were excluded. Criteria were applied by two reviewers independently.

Trial quality was assessed by two reviewers independently, and data extracted by one reviewer using a standardized extraction form.

Eleven trials involving 73,375 patients were included. Trials were generally of high quality. Treatment with INH resulted in a relative risk (RR) of developing active TB of 0.40, (95% confidence interval ¿CI¿ 0.31 to 0.52), over two years or longer. There was no significant difference between 6 and 12 month courses (RR of 0.44, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.73 for six months, and 0.38, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.50 for 12 months). Preventive therapy reduced deaths from TB, but this effect was not seen for all cause mortality. INH was associated with hepatotoxicity in 0.36% of people on 6 months treatment and in 0.52% of people treated for 12 months.

Isoniazid is effective for the prevention of active TB in diverse at-risk patients, and six and 12 month regimens have a similar effect.