Light chain proteinuria and humoral immunoincompetence in tuberculous patients treated with rifampin.

Abstract

Light chain proteinuria was found in 18 of 21 tuberculous patients treated with rifampin. Five tuberculous patients and 8 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who were not taking rifampin and were concomitantly studied, excreted no light chains in their urine. In tuberculous patients, rifampin also significantly interfered with the primary antibody response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and the anamnestic response to Salmonella typhi vaccine. Several possible mechanisms exist for the immunoincompetence and proteinuria induced by rifampin.