Evaluation of a line probe assay for the rapid detection of gyrA mutations associated with fluoroquinolone resistance in multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

In vitro activity of sitafloxacin against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with gyrA/B mutations isolated in Japan

Purpose. Sitafloxacin (SFX) is a new fluoroquinolone (FQ) that has shown a strong bactericidal effect against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in vitro. However, data on SFX efficacy against Mtb with gyrA/B mutations and its epidemiological cut-off (ECOFF) value remain limited. Therefore, we evaluated and compared the in vitro activity of SFX against gyrA/B-mutant Mtb to that of moxifloxacin (MFX), levofloxacin (LFX) and ciprofloxacin (CFX), and determined the ECOFF for SFX.Methodology. A total of 109 clinical Mtb isolates, including 73 multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates, were subjected to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis in oleic-albumin-dextrose-catalase (OADC)-supplemented Middlebrook 7H9 medium. Our results showed that SFX had lower cumulative MIC than MFX, LFX and CFX. Furthermore, we performed direct DNA sequencing of the quinolone-resistance-determining regions (QRDRs).Results. We identified the following mutations: D94G, D94A, A90V, D94H, D94N and G88A in gyrA; and A543V, A543T, E540D, R485C, D500A, I552S and D577A in gyrB. Based on our results, an ECOFF of 0.125 µg ml^-1 was proposed for SFX. With this ECOFF, 15 % of LFX-resistant isolates with MIC ≥2 µg ml^-1 were susceptible to SFX.Conclusion. SFX had the lowest cumulative MIC and a relatively low ECOFF value against Mtb, indicating that SFX was not only more effective against gyrA-mutant isolates, but also MDR isolates in Japan.

Drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: molecular mechanisms challenging fluoroquinolones and pyrazinamide effectiveness

Physicians are more and more often challenged by difficult-to-treat cases of TB. They include patients infected by strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin (multidrug-resistant TB) or to at least one fluoroquinolone (FQ) and one injectable, second-line anti-TB drug in addition to isoniazid and rifampicin (extensively drug-resistant TB). The drug treatment of these cases is very long, toxic, and expensive, and, unfortunately, the proportion of unsatisfactory outcomes is still considerably high. Although FQs and pyrazinamide (PZA) are backbone drugs in the available anti-TB regimens, several uncertainties remain about their mechanisms of action and even more remain about the mechanisms leading to drug resistance. From a clinical point of view, a better understanding of the genetic basis of drug resistance will aid (1) clinicians to provide quality clinical management to both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB cases (while preventing emergence of further resistance), and (2) developers of new molecular-based diagnostic assays to better direct their research efforts toward a new generation of sensitive, specific, cheap, and easy-to-use point-of-care diagnostics. In this review we provide an update on the molecular mechanisms leading to FQ- and PZA-resistance in M tuberculosis.

Frequency and geographic distribution of gyrA and gyrB mutations associated with fluoroquinolone resistance in clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The detection of mutations in the gyrA and gyrB genes in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome that have been demonstrated to confer phenotypic resistance to fluoroquinolones is the most promising technology for rapid diagnosis of fluoroquinolone resistance.

METHODS

In order to characterize the diversity and frequency of gyrA and gyrB mutations and to describe the global distribution of these mutations, we conducted a systematic review, from May 1996 to April 2013, of all published studies evaluating Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutations associated with resistance to fluoroquinolones. The overall goal of the study was to determine the potential utility and reliability of these mutations as diagnostic markers to detect phenotypic fluoroquinolone resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and to describe their geographic distribution.

RESULTS

Forty-six studies, covering four continents and 18 countries, provided mutation data for 3,846 unique clinical isolates with phenotypic resistance profiles to fluoroquinolones. The gyrA mutations occurring most frequently in fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates, ranged from 21-32% for D94G and 13-20% for A90V, by drug. Eighty seven percent of all strains that were phenotypically resistant to moxifloxacin and 83% of ofloxacin resistant isolates contained mutations in gyrA. Additionally we found that 83% and 80% of moxifloxacin and ofloxacin resistant strains respectively, were observed to have mutations in the gyrA codons interrogated by the existing MTBDRsl line probe assay. In China and Russia, 83% and 84% of fluoroquinolone resistant strains respectively, were observed to have gyrA mutations in the gene regions covered by the MTBDRsl assay.

CONCLUSIONS

Molecular diagnostics, specifically the Genotype MTBDRsl assay, focusing on codons 88-94 should have moderate to high sensitivity in most countries. While we did observe geographic differences in the frequencies of single gyrA mutations across countries, molecular diagnostics based on detection of all gyrA mutations demonstrated to confer resistance should have broad and global utility.

Phylogenetic polymorphisms in antibiotic resistance genes of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

OBJECTIVES

Sequence analysis of known antibiotic resistance genes of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) is increasingly being used to infer phenotypic resistance to a variety of antibiotics. However, a clear understanding of the genotype-phenotype relationship is required to interpret genotypic susceptibility results accurately. In this context, it is particularly important to distinguish phylogenetically informative neutral polymorphisms from true resistance-conferring mutations.

METHODS

Using a collection of 71 strains that encompasses all major MTBC genotypes, we mapped the genetic diversity in 18 genes that are known to be involved or were previously implicated in antibiotic resistance to eight current as well as two novel antibiotics. This included bedaquiline, capreomycin, ethambutol, fluoroquinolones, isoniazid, PA-824, para-aminosalicylic acid, prothionamide, rifampicin and streptomycin. Moreover, we included data from one of our prior studies that focused on two of the three known pyrazinamide resistance genes.

RESULTS

We found 58 phylogenetic polymorphisms that were markers for the genotypes M. tuberculosis Beijing, Haarlem, Latin American-Mediterranean (LAM), East African Indian (EAI), Delhi/Central Asian (CAS), Ghana, Turkey (Tur), Uganda I and II, Ural and X-type, as well as for Mycobacterium africanum genotypes West African I (WA I) and II (WA II), Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium caprae, Mycobacterium pinnipedii, Mycobacterium microti and Mycobacterium canettii.

CONCLUSIONS

This study represents one of the most extensive overviews of phylogenetically informative polymorphisms in known resistance genes to date, and will serve as a resource for the design and interpretation of genotypic susceptibility assays.

Clonal expansion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates and coexisting drug resistance in patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in Hanoi, Vietnam

Background

Newly diagnosed patients without anti-tuberculosis (TB) treatment histories have not often undergone drug susceptibility testing (DST), but have received the standard treatment regimen without information about their DST profiles in many countries with inadequate resources.

Methods

We collected 346 clinical isolates from previously untreated patients with smear-positive active TB in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Of these, 339 were tested for susceptibility to four first-line anti-TB drugs, including isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP), streptomycin (SM), and ethambutol (EMB), using the proportion method. A pyrazinamidase (PZase) test was used to assess pyrazinamide (PZA) resistance. Results of the culture-based drug susceptibility tests were confirmed by those from reverse hybridization-based line probe assays (LiPAs) that detected mutations associated with RMP, INH, PZA, and fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance. To investigate a diversity of these strains, IS6110-probed restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were analyzed. Nucleotide sequences for furA-katG and fabG1-inhA operons, transcription units responsible for INH resistance, were also determined.

Results

Of the isolates tested, 127 (37.5%) were resistant to at least one of the four drugs, which included 93 (27.4%) isolates that were resistant to INH. RFLP analysis identified four clusters defined by similarity of the band patterns, which accounted for 46.1% of the tested isolates. Among the clustered isolates, 37.7% were resistant to INH, most of which (85.4%) carried a g944c mutation, which causes an S315T amino acid substitution, in the katG gene.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that drug-resistant strains, particularly those with INH resistance characterized by a single mutation, S315T, are spreading in Hanoi, Vietnam. When RMP resistance is combined with this setting, patients are not easily cured by conventional short-term treatment. We will need to carefully monitor these trends and search for the origins and transmission routes of these strains.

Detection of streptomycin and quinolone resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis by a low-density DNA array

In cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, it is crucial to rule out resistance to second-line antituberculous (anti-TB) agents. In the present study, a low-cost low-density DNA array including four genetic regions (rrs 530 loop, rrs 1400, rpsL and gyrA) was designed for the rapid detection of the most important mutations related to anti-TB injectable drugs (mainly streptomycin) and fluoroquinolone resistance (LD-SQ array). A total of 108 streptomycin- and/or ofloxacin-resistant and 20 streptomycin- and ofloxacin-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates were analysed with the array. The results obtained were compared with sequencing data and phenotypic susceptibility pattern. The LD-SQ array offered a good sensitivity compared to sequencing, especially among resistant strains: 92.5% (37/40) for streptomycin and 87.5% (7/8) for fluoroquinolones. Therefore, this array could be considered a good approach for the rapid detection of mutations related to streptomycin and fluoroquinolone resistance. On the other hand, there were discordant results in 16 resistant strains and six susceptible isolates, mostly concerning the gyrA region, in which the existence of polymorphisms next to informative positions might cause cross-hybridization. These discrepancies were caused by some technical limitations; consequently, the present array should be considered as a first-step prior to a forthcoming optimized version of the array.

Importance of the genetic diversity within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex for the development of novel antibiotics and diagnostic tests of drug resistance

Despite being genetically monomorphic, the limited genetic diversity within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) has practical consequences for molecular methods for drug susceptibility testing and for the use of current antibiotics and those in clinical trials. It renders some representatives of MTBC intrinsically resistant against one or multiple antibiotics and affects the spectrum and consequences of resistance mutations selected for during treatment. Moreover, neutral or silent changes within genes responsible for drug resistance can cause false-positive results with hybridization-based assays, which have been recently introduced to replace slower phenotypic methods. We discuss the consequences of these findings and propose concrete steps to rigorously assess the genetic diversity of MTBC to support ongoing clinical trials.

New insights into fluoroquinolone resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: functional genetic analysis of gyrA and gyrB mutations

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are among the most potent second-line drugs used for treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), and resistance to this class of antibiotics is one criterion for defining extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB). Fluoroquinolone resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been associated with modification of the quinolone resistance determining region (QRDR) of gyrA. Recent studies suggest that amino acid substitutions in gyrB may also play a crucial role in resistance, but functional genetic studies of these mutations in M. tuberculosis are lacking. In this study, we examined twenty six mutations in gyrase genes gyrA (seven) and gyrB (nineteen) to determine the clinical relevance and role of these mutations in fluoroquinolone resistance. Transductants or clinical isolates harboring T80A, T80A+A90G, A90G, G247S and A384V gyrA mutations were susceptible to all fluoroquinolones tested. The A74S mutation conferred low-level resistance to moxifloxacin but susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and ofloxacin, and the A74S+D94G double mutation conferred cross resistance to all the fluoroquinolones tested. Functional genetic analysis and structural modeling of gyrB suggest that M330I, V340L, R485C, D500A, D533A, A543T, A543V and T546M mutations are not sufficient to confer resistance as determined by agar proportion. Only three mutations, N538D, E540V and R485C+T539N, conferred resistance to all four fluoroquinolones in at least one genetic background. The D500H and D500N mutations conferred resistance only to levofloxacin and ofloxacin while N538K and E540D consistently conferred resistance to moxifloxacin only. Transductants and clinical isolates harboring T539N, T539P or N538T+T546M mutations exhibited low-level resistance to moxifloxacin only but not consistently. These findings indicate that certain mutations in gyrB confer fluoroquinolone resistance, but the level and pattern of resistance varies among the different mutations. The results from this study provide support for the inclusion of the QRDR of gyrB in molecular assays used to detect fluoroquinolone resistance in M. tuberculosis.

Comprehensive multicenter evaluation of a new line probe assay kit for identification of Mycobacterium species and detection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

We evaluated a new line probe assay (LiPA) kit to identify Mycobacterium species and to detect mutations related to drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A total of 554 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 316), Mycobacterium avium (n = 71), Mycobacterium intracellulare (n = 51), Mycobacterium kansasii (n = 54), and other Mycobacterium species (n = 62) were tested with the LiPA kit in six hospitals. The LiPA kit was also used to directly test 163 sputum specimens. The results of LiPA identification of Mycobacterium species in clinical isolates were almost identical to those of conventional methods. Compared with standard drug susceptibility testing results for the clinical isolates, LiPA showed a sensitivity and specificity of 98.9% and 97.3%, respectively, for detecting rifampin (RIF)-resistant clinical isolates; 90.6% and 100%, respectively, for isoniazid (INH) resistance; 89.7% and 96.0%, respectively, for pyrazinamide (PZA) resistance; and 93.0% and 100%, respectively, for levofloxacin (LVX) resistance. The LiPA kit could detect target species directly in sputum specimens, with a sensitivity of 85.6%. Its sensitivity and specificity for detecting RIF-, PZA-, and LVX-resistant isolates in the sputum specimens were both 100%, and those for detecting INH-resistant isolates were 75.0% and 92.9%, respectively. The kit was able to identify mycobacterial bacilli at the species level, as well as drug-resistant phenotypes, with a high sensitivity and specificity.

Rethinking approaches to improve the utilization of nucleic acid amplification tests for detection and characterization of influenza A in diagnostic and reference laboratories

Influenza A virus (IFVA) is a significant cause of respiratory infections worldwide and was also responsible for a recent pandemic in 2009. Laboratory identification of IFVA can guide antiviral therapy, assist in cohorting of patients and prevent antibiotic use. Characterization of the virus can track the emergence of novel strains, identify resistance and determine how circulating strains match with vaccine components. The gold standard for detection and characterization of IFVA is nucleic acid amplification technology (e.g., reverse transcriptase PCR [RT-PCR]), which must contend with a constantly evolving viral genome. Although molecular technology has been available for over two decades, there is still an operational gap between assay design and utilization of these tests for the diagnosis and characterization of IFVA. This review will discuss issues surrounding the implementation and use of RT-PCR for the identification and characterization of IFVA, and speculate on why RT-PCR has not been used more widely in clinical laboratories or moved closer to the patient. Newer, less widely used technologies that may change our laboratory practices will be identified and the authors will close with an attempt to identify some future applications of RT-PCR-based technologies for the detection and characterization of IFVA.

Mechanisms of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and current status of rapid molecular diagnostic testing

Drug-resistant tuberculosis has become a global problem and a major public health concern. While mechanisms of resistance are fairly well characterized for most agents, particularly the first line agents, our knowledge of drug resistance is by no means exhaustive, and strains continue to emerge that carry novel resistance-related mutations. The purpose of this review is to summarize our current understanding of the genetic basis of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, highlighting emerging areas of research. The development of rapid detection methods has been a major breakthrough in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis. Rapid detection methods are available for both rifampin- and isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis, but have yet to be developed for other first line agents. Rapid detection methods will become increasingly important as multi-drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis become more prevalent, even for detecting tuberculosis that is resistant to second line agents.

First report of molecular detection of fluoroquinolone resistance-associated gyrA mutations in multidrug-resistant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Kuwait

Background

Nearly 5% of all Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains worldwide are resistant at least to rifampicin and isoniazid (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, MDR-TB). Inclusion of a fluoroquinolone and an injectable agent (kanamycin, amikacin or capreomycin) in multidrug therapy is crucial for proper treatment of MDR-TB. The incidence of MDR-TB in Kuwait is ~1%. MDR-TB strains additionally resistant to fluoroquinolones and injectable agents are defined as extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) strains and have been detected in >55 countries. Infections with XDR-TB strains have very poor prognosis. This study detected the occurrence of gyrA mutations associated with fluoroquinolone resistance among MDR-TB strains in Kuwait.

Findings

Direct DNA sequencing of quinolone resistance-determining region of gyrA gene was performed to detect fluoroquinolone resistance-associated mutations in 85 MDR-TB strains isolated from 55 TB patients and 25 pansusceptible M. tuberculosis strains. For isolates exhibiting gyrA mutations, 3'-end of rrs (16S rRNA) was sequenced for the detection of XDR-TB. Fingerprinting of fluoroquinolone resistant MDR-TB strains was performed by detecting mutations in three (81 bp hot-spot, N-terminal and cluster II) regions of rpoB, katG codon 315 and inhA-regulatory region, polymorphisms at gyrA codon 95 and katG codon 463 by DNA sequencing and by double-repetitive-element PCR for determining strain relatedness. None of the pansusceptible but six of 85 MDR-TB strains contained gyrA mutations. Only gyrA codon 94 was mutated in all six (D94A in one and D94G in five) strains. Three of six mutant strains were recovered from the same patient while three other strains represented individual patient isolates. Fingerprinting studies identified all individual patient isolates as epidemiologically distinct strains. All six strains with a gyrA mutation contained wild-type rrs sequence.

Conclusions

Although fluoroquinolones are generally not used for chemotherapy of TB and drug susceptibility testing for second-line drugs is not carried out in Kuwait, four of 55 (7%) individual patient MDR-TB strains contained mutations in gyrA gene. The data advocate routine drug susceptibility testing for this important second-line drug for proper management of MDR-TB in Kuwait. Lack of mutations in 3'-end of rrs gene that confer resistance to injectable agents reduce the likelihood of occurrence of XDR-TB, at present, in Kuwait.