IN-VITRO ACTIVITY OF FLUORINATED QUINOLONES AND MACROLIDES AGAINST DRUG-RESISTANT MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS

The increasing incidence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis necessitates therapeutic alternatives. The in-vitro activities of seve n fluoroquinolone and macrolide compounds were tested against 23 clini cal isolates of M. tuberculosis, including 17 multidrug-resistant stra ins. Sparfloxacin was the most active fluoroquinolone, with MICs of le ss than or equal to 1 mg/L for all tested strains, followed by levoflo xacin and ciprofloxacin. Trovafloxacin had no inhibitory activity at t he concentrations tested. The MICs of the macrolides were generally hi gher, clarithromycin being the most active with MICs of less than or e qual to 8 mg/L for eight of the 23 strains.