Resistance of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the Archangel oblast, Russia, to second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2005 Mar;24(3):202-6. doi: 10.1007/s10096-005-1284-z.

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis has become common all over the world, necessitating the inclusion of second-line drugs in treatment regimens. In the present study, the susceptibility of a selection of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated in the Archangel oblast, Russia, to second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs was analysed. Susceptibility testing of 77 Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains was performed by the Bactec method using the following recommended drug concentrations: capreomycin 1.25 microg/ml; ethionamide 1.25 microg/ml; kanamycin 5 microg/ml; and ofloxacin 2 microg/ml. The majority of strains (92.2%) were resistant to ethionamide. High rates of drug resistance were also found for capreomycin (42.9%) and kanamycin (41.6%), while nearly all strains (98.7%) were susceptible to ofloxacin. The high rates of resistance to ethionamide, capreomycin, and kanamycin show the real burden of drug resistance in the region and pose a serious problem for the treatment of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacology*
  • Capreomycin / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial*
  • Ethionamide / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Kanamycin / pharmacology
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Ofloxacin / pharmacology
  • Russia
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / microbiology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Capreomycin
  • Kanamycin
  • Ofloxacin
  • Ethionamide