Effect of Metformin on systemic chemokine responses during anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy

Background Metformin (MET), by boosting immunity, has been suggested as a host-adjunctive therapy to anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT). Methods We evaluated whether adding MET to the standard ATT can alter the host chemokine response. We investigated the influence of metformin on the plasma levels of a wide panel of chemokines in a group of active tuberculosis patients before treatment, at 2nd month of ATT and at 6-months of ATT as part of our clinical study to examine the effect of metformin on ATT. Results Our results demonstrated that addition of metformin resulted in diminished CC (CCL1 and CCL3) and CXC (CXCL-2 and CXCL-10) chemokines in MET arm as compared to non-MET arm at the 2nd month and 6th month of ATT. In addition to this, MET arm showed significantly diminished chemokines in individuals with high bacterial burden and cavitary disease. Conclusion Our current data suggest that metformin alters chemokines responses that could potentially curb excessive inflammation during ATT.