Azithromycin as Host-directed Therapy for Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of drug sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis (molecular test; identification Mtb complex; absence of resistance genes such as rpob, inha, katg)
• Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Patient reported previous history of treatment for tuberculosis
• Patients younger than 18 years
• Pregnancy or breast feeding
• Patients with hypersensitivity to macrolide antibiotics
• Treatment with any macrolide in the previous month
• Treatment with any tetracycline in the previous month
• Treatment with any inhaled or oral corticosteroid in the previous month
• Concomitant treatment with analgesic (NSAIDs)/immunosuppressant drugs (except paracetamol).
• Treatment with digoxin
• Patients with gastrointestinal complaints, like diarrhea and vomiting (≥grade 2, observed)
• Other known respiratory diseases, including bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary vascular disease or lung cancer
• HIV-1 infection or AIDS
• Impaired liver function (Child-Pugh score C)
• Patients with a known QTc ≥500 ms. An electrocardiogram (ECG) will be recorded.
• Inability to spontaneously produce sputum upon diagnosis