This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Baker, L. V. Articles by Drobniewski, F. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Baker, L. V. Articles by Drobniewski, F. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2005, p. 1455-1464, Vol. 49, No. 4
0066-4804/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.49.4.1455-1464.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Molecular Analysis of Isoniazid-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates from England and Wales Reveals the Phylogenetic Significance of the ahpC –46A Polymorphism

HPA Mycobacterium Reference Unit, Department of Microbiology, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom

Received 20 July 2004/ Returned for modification 19 August 2004/ Accepted 16 November 2004

The present study investigated the prevalence and diagnostic potential of the most commonly reported mutations associated with isoniazid resistance, katG 315Thr, katG 315Asn, inhA –15T, inhA –8A, and the oxyR-ahpC intergenic region, in a population sample of 202 isoniazid-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates and 176 randomly selected fully sensitive isolates from England and Wales identified by using a directed oligonucleotide array and limited DNA sequencing. The strains were recovered from patients originating from 29 countries; 41 isolates were multidrug resistant. Mutations affecting katG 315, the inhA promoter, and the oxyR-ahpC intergenic region were found in 62.7, 21.9, and 30% of 169 genotypically distinct isoniazid-resistant isolates, respectively, whereas they were found in 0, 0, and 8% of susceptible strains, respectively. The frequency of mutation at each locus was unrelated to the resistance profile or previous antituberculous drug therapy. The commonest mutation in the oxyR-ahpC intergenic region, ahpC –46A, was present in 23.7% of isoniazid-resistant isolates and 7.5% of susceptible isolates. This proved to be a phylogenetic marker for a subgroup of M. tuberculosis strains originating on the Indian subcontinent, which shared IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism and spoligotype features with the Delhi strain and Central Asian strain CAS1; and this marker is strongly associated with isoniazid resistance and the katG 315Thr mutation. In total, 82.8% of unrelated isoniazid-resistant isolates could be identified by analysis of just two loci: katG 315 and the inhA promoter. Analysis of the oxyR-ahpC intergenic region, although phylogenetically interesting, does not contribute significantly to further identification of isoniazid-resistant isolates.