HIV Coinfection Is Associated with Low-Fitness rpoB Variants in Rifampicin-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020 Sep 21;64(10):e00782-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00782-20. Print 2020 Sep 21.

Abstract

We analyzed 312 drug-resistant genomes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates collected from HIV-coinfected and HIV-negative TB patients from nine countries with a high tuberculosis burden. We found that rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis strains isolated from HIV-coinfected patients carried disproportionally more resistance-conferring mutations in rpoB that are associated with a low fitness in the absence of the drug, suggesting these low-fitness rpoB variants can thrive in the context of reduced host immunity.

Keywords: HIV-TB coinfection; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; drug resistance; fitness cost; rifampicin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / genetics
  • HIV Infections* / complications
  • HIV Infections* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Mutation
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis* / genetics
  • Rifampin
  • Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant*

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases
  • Rifampin