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Ferdosnejad K, Sholeh M, Abdolhamidi R, Soroush E, Siadat SD, Tarashi S. The occurrence rate of Haarlem and Beijing genotypes among Middle Eastern isolates of multi drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Respir Investig 2024; 62:296-304. [PMID: 38295613 DOI: 10.1016/j.resinv.2024.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem that poses a major challenge to tuberculosis control worldwide. Many developing countries still struggle with this infection in term of various aspects as it remains a major health concern. A number of developing countries are located in the Middle East, one of the world's most important regions. The control of this infection remains largely suboptimal despite intensive research in the field, and the mechanisms that lead to its progression have not yet been fully understood. Therefore, TB control must be amended through the identification of new strategies. For this reason, monitoring genetic characterizations of TB strains by molecular typing methods in different geographical regions can be important to setting local programs and global strategies to control TB infection. It is important to know the genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains to evaluate the occurrence of outbreaks and the transmission of this disease. Beijing and Haarlem genotypes are the most prevalent and, in these families, there is greater association with drug resistance, resulting in more severe forms of TB and higher levels of treatment failure than in other families. The current study is planned to systematically conduct a review using a meta-analysis to show the prevalence of Beijing and Haarlem genotypes in the Middle Eastern MDR-TB cases. M. tuberculosis strains pose particular epidemiological and clinical concerns as they can endanger tuberculosis control programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammad Sholeh
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Bacteriology, Pasture Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Erfan Soroush
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Davar Siadat
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Tarashi
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Shibabaw A, Gelaw B, Ghanem M, Legall N, Schooley AM, Soehnlen MK, Salvador LCM, Gebreyes W, Wang SH, Tessema B. Molecular epidemiology and transmission dynamics of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis strains using whole genome sequencing in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:400. [PMID: 37460951 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09502-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis prevention and care is a major challenge in Ethiopia. The World health organization has designated Ethiopia as one of the 30 high burden multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) countries. There is limited information regarding genetic diversity and transmission dynamics of MDR-TB in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE To investigate the molecular epidemiology and transmission dynamics of MDR-TB strains using whole genome sequence (WGS) in the Amhara region. METHODS Forty-five MDR-TB clinical isolates from Amhara region were collected between 2016 and 2018, and characterized using WGS and 24-loci Mycobacterium Interspersed Repetitive Units Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTR) typing. Clusters were defined based on the maximum distance of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or alleles as the upper threshold of genomic relatedness. Five or less SNPs or alleles distance or identical 24-loci VNTR typing is denoted as surrogate marker for recent transmission. RESULTS Forty-one of the 45 isolates were analyzed by WGS and 44% (18/41) of the isolates were distributed into 4 clusters. Of the 41 MDR-TB isolates, 58.5% were classified as lineage 4, 36.5% lineage 3 and 5% lineage 1. Overall, TUR genotype (54%) was the predominant in MDR-TB strains. 41% (17/41) of the isolates were clustered into four WGS groups and the remaining isolates were unique strains. The predominant cluster (Cluster 1) was composed of nine isolates belonging to lineage 4 and of these, four isolates were in the recent transmission links. CONCLUSIONS Majority of MDR-TB strain cluster and predominance of TUR lineage in the Amhara region give rise to concerns for possible ongoing transmission. Efforts to strengthen TB laboratory to advance diagnosis, intensified active case finding, and expanded contact tracing activities are needed in order to improve rapid diagnosis and initiate early treatment. This would lead to the interruption of the transmission chain and stop the spread of MDR-TB in the Amhara region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agumas Shibabaw
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia.
- Global One Health Initiative (GOHi), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Infectious disease, Lansing, MI, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Baye Gelaw
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Mostafa Ghanem
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Noah Legall
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Angie M Schooley
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Infectious disease, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Marty K Soehnlen
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Infectious disease, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Liliana C M Salvador
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Agriculture and life sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Wondwossen Gebreyes
- Global One Health Initiative (GOHi), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shu-Hua Wang
- Global One Health Initiative (GOHi), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Belay Tessema
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Rizvi SMS, Tarafder S, Anwar S, Perdigão J, Johora FT, Sattar H, Kamal SMM. Circulating strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: 24 loci MIRU-VNTR analysis in Bangladesh. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 86:104634. [PMID: 33186780 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Bangladesh is among the high burden countries for tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB). As the genetic diversity and distinct phylogeographic distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are responsible for regional differences in drug resistance, this cross sectional study was conducted to identify the circulating M. tuberculosis strains belonging to different lineages among pulmonary tuberculosis and, to investigate the contribution of distinct M. tuberculosis lineages to rifampicin resistant (RR) and rifampicin sensitive (RS) TB. A total of 40 RR and 20 RS isolates were enrolled in this study, all of which confirmed as M. tuberculosis by MPT 64 antigen detection. Furthermore, all isolates were genotyped by 24 loci Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units-Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTR), thus comprising the first study to employ this approach in Bangladesh. Beijing was the predominant lineage (26.8%) followed by EAI (23.2%), Delhi/CAS (16.1%), H37Rv (8.9%), Haarlem (7.1%), LAM (5.4%), Cameroon (3.6%) and a NEW-1 (1.8%). Four (7.1%) isolates remained as unidentified. Beijing strains were the significantly predominant (36.8%; p = 0.0135) among the RR isolates in comparison with other strains whereas EAI was the predominant (38.8%) lineage among RS isolates. Also, approximately 13% RR isolates showed genotypic resistance against fluoroquinolones by LPA and, hence, classed as pre-XDR TB albeit no specific lineage was found associated with these latter strains. A low transmission rate (10.5%) and high genetic diversity was detected in this setting with all the clustered strains herein identified belonging to the Beijing lineage. This study highlights 24 loci MIRU-VNTR analysis as a powerful tool for genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in this setting as it shows a high discriminatory index (0.81).
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Shahriar Rizvi
- Communicable Disease Control (CDC), Directorate General of Health Services, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.
| | - Shirin Tarafder
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahbag, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shaheda Anwar
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahbag, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - João Perdigão
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Fatima Tuj Johora
- Department of Microbiology, East West Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Humayun Sattar
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahbag, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Kazemian H, Kardan-Yamchi J, Bahador A, Khonsari S, Nasehi M, Hamzehloo G, Vaziri F, Salehi MR, Feizabadi MM. Efficacy Of Line Probe Assay In Detection Of Drug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis In Comparison With GeneXpert And Phenotypic Methods In Iran And Genetic Analysis Of Isolates By MIRU-VNTR. Infect Drug Resist 2019; 12:3585-3593. [PMID: 31814746 PMCID: PMC6863623 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s222905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Successful treatment of tuberculosis depends on early diagnosis and use of appropriate drug susceptibility testing in a timely manner. In the present study, LPA efficacy was assayed in detection and drug susceptibility testing of pulmonary tuberculosis in comparison to available methods in Iran and phylogenetic analyses of isolated cases carried out by MIRU-VNTR. Methods This study was conducted at the Tehran Regional Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis. All sputum specimens were subjected to smear, culture, and drug susceptibility testing (DST), GeneXpert, and LPA. Finally, 15-locus-based MIRU-VNTR was used for molecular genotyping. Results From a total of 920 sputum specimens, 6.08% (n=56) were identified as MTBC by culture, 6.8% (n=63) by GeneXpert, and 6.5% (n=60) by LPA. Phenotype DST and LPA methods confirmed the resistance of 4 and 14 specimens to rifampin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH); two cases were considered as multidrug-resistant (MDR). Using GeneXpert, four cases were identified as RIF-resistant. Based on LPA results, inhA and katG mutations were detected in 100% and 21.4% of INH-resistant cases, respectively. All 56 culture positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were placed in 29 different clusters using MIRU-VNTR genotyping. Two MDR-TB, 2 RIF mono-resistant, and 12 INH mono-resistant cases were placed in different clusters. Conclusion LPA is an appropriate method for early detection and accurate diagnosis of TB and drug-resistant cases that makes it possible to distinguish INH mono-resistant cases from MDR cases in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Kazemian
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jalil Kardan-Yamchi
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Bahador
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shadi Khonsari
- Natural Science Department, School of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, UK
| | - Mahshid Nasehi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Farzam Vaziri
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Salehi
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mehdi Feizabadi
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Thoracic Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Al-Ghafli H, Kohl TA, Merker M, Varghese B, Halees A, Niemann S, Al-Hajoj S. Drug-resistance profiling and transmission dynamics of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia revealed by whole genome sequencing. Infect Drug Resist 2018; 11:2219-2229. [PMID: 30519060 PMCID: PMC6237142 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s181124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Saudi Arabia, cross-border transmission of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains might be particularly fostered by high immigration rates. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the transmission dynamics of MDR-MTBC strains and reveal a detailed prediction of all resistance-conferring mutations for the first- and second-line drugs. Methods We investigated all MDR-MTBC strains collected between 2015 and 2017 from provincial mycobacteria referral laboratories and compared demographic and clinical parameters to a cohort of non-MDR-TB patients using a whole genome sequencing approach. Clusters were defined based on a maximum strain-to-strain genetic distance of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as surrogate marker for recent transmission, and then investigated molecular drug-resistance markers (37 genes). Results Forty-eight (67.6%) MDR-MTBC strains were grouped in 14 different clusters, ranging in size from two to six strains; 22.5% (16/71) of all MDR-MTBC isolates were predicted to be fully resistant to all five first-line drugs, and five strains (7.0%) exhibited fluoroquinolone resistance. Moreover, we revealed the presence of 12 compensatory mutations as well as 26 non-synonymous SNPs in the rpoC gene and non-hotspot region in rpoB, respectively. Conclusion Optimized TB molecular surveillance, diagnosis, and patient management are urgently needed to contain MDR-MTBC transmission and prevent the development of additional drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hawra Al-Ghafli
- Mycobacteriology Research Section, Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia,
| | - Thomas A Kohl
- Molecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz-Zentrum für Medizin und Biowissenschaften, Borstel 23845, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Borstel, Borstel 38124, Germany
| | - Matthias Merker
- Molecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz-Zentrum für Medizin und Biowissenschaften, Borstel 23845, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Borstel, Borstel 38124, Germany
| | - Bright Varghese
- Mycobacteriology Research Section, Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia,
| | - Anason Halees
- Data and Information Office, Anfas Medical Centre, Hittin District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Stefan Niemann
- Molecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz-Zentrum für Medizin und Biowissenschaften, Borstel 23845, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Borstel, Borstel 38124, Germany
| | - Sahal Al-Hajoj
- Mycobacteriology Research Section, Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia,
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Varghese B, Al-Hajoj S. First Insight Into the Fluoroquinolone and Aminoglycoside Resistance of Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 96:1066-1070. [PMID: 28500800 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractIn Saudi Arabia, there were no nationwide screening studies conducted so far to determine the aminoglycoside and fluoroquinolone resistance among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) isolates. Therefore, as the first attempt in the country, a retrospective analysis has been conducted on a nationwide collection of 2,956 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates screened with phenotypic drug susceptibility testing to define MDR-TB. Enrolled MDR-TB isolates were subjected to second-line drug susceptibility testing, detection of mutations conferring resistance to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolone, followed by 24-loci mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number of tandem repeat typing and spoligotyping. Overall, 83 isolates were identified as MDR-TB, and 13 (15.7%) isolates showed resistance to second-line drugs. Moxifloxacin (low level) showed higher resistant rates (10.8%) followed by ofloxacin (7.2%), capreomycin (3.6%), kanamycin (3.6%), and amikacin (2.4%). Overall fluoroquinolone resistance was 12%, whereas aminoglycoside resistance was 7.2%. Predominant mutations conferring resistance to fluoroquinolone were found in gyrA A90V and D94G, whereas aminoglycoside resistance was observed only with rrs gene A1401G mutation. The corresponding strain lineages predominated with Indo-Oceanic and East-African Indian origin. Interestingly, none of the isolates with second-line drug resistance was defined as extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). Surprisingly, many isolates (50.6%) were panresistant to first-line drugs. Saudi Arabia faces considerable burden of fluoroquinolone- and aminoglycoside-resistant MDR-TB. Higher incidence of panresistant MDR-TB reveals a threat for the emergence of XDR-TB strains in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bright Varghese
- Mycobacteriology Research Section, Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahal Al-Hajoj
- Mycobacteriology Research Section, Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Ben-Kahla I, Al-Hajoj S. Drug-resistant tuberculosis viewed from bacterial and host genomes. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2016; 48:353-60. [PMID: 27566907 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2016.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2016] [Revised: 06/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The outcome of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is largely influenced by the host-pathogen interaction in which both the human host and the MTB genetic backgrounds play an important role. Whether this interaction also influences the selection and expansion of drug-resistant MTB strains is the primary focus of this review. We first outline the main and recent findings regarding MTB determinants implicated in the development of drug resistance. Second, we examine data regarding human genetic factors that may play a role in TB drug resistance. We highlight interesting openings for TB research and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imen Ben-Kahla
- Mycobacteriology Section, Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahal Al-Hajoj
- Mycobacteriology Section, Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Niehaus AJ, Mlisana K, Gandhi NR, Mathema B, Brust JCM. High Prevalence of inhA Promoter Mutations among Patients with Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135003. [PMID: 26332235 PMCID: PMC4557915 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) remains extremely difficult to treat because there are often few remaining active medications and limited diagnostic options to detect resistance. Resistance to isoniazid is typically caused by mutations in either katG or the inhA promoter. inhA mutations confer low-level resistance to isoniazid and cross-resistance to ethionamide while katG mutations confer high-level isoniazid resistance and no cross-resistance. Line Probe Assays (LPAs) that detect mutations in katG and inhA are currently performed on all positive TB cultures in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, but the frequency of inhA mutations in drug-resistant TB patients has not been examined. METHODS We sought to determine the proportion of patients who could potentially benefit from high-dose isoniazid and who may be resistant to ethionamide. We reviewed 994 LPA (Hain MTBDRplus) results at the TB reference laboratory in KwaZulu-Natal to determine the frequency of mutations in either katG or the inhA promoter. We stratified these results by drug-resistance category (i.e., MDR-TB, pre-XDR-TB, and XDR-TB) as determined by phenotypic drug-susceptibility testing. RESULTS Among MDR- and XDR-TB isolates, the prevalence of inhA mutations without a concurrent katG mutation was 14.8% and 10.3% respectively. The prevalence of inhA mutations with OR without a katG mutation was 30.3% and 82.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION More than 10% of patients with MDR- and XDR-TB may benefit from high-dose isoniazid. Although ethionamide is empirically included in all MDR- and XDR-TB regimens, nearly a third of MDR-TB patients and a majority of XDR-TB patients likely have resistance to ethionamide. Laboratories performing line probe assays should report specific band patterns so that clinicians may adjust treatment regimens accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham J. Niehaus
- Department of Medical Microbiology, National Health Laboratory Services and University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Koleka Mlisana
- Department of Medical Microbiology, National Health Laboratory Services and University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Neel R. Gandhi
- Departments of Epidemiology, Global Health, and Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Barun Mathema
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - James C. M. Brust
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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