Bacteriological and molecular analysis of rifampin-resistant Mycobacteriumtuberculosis strains isolated in Australia

To develop a better understanding of the epidemiology and molecular biology of rifampin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in Australia, 50 clinical isolates (33 rifampin-resistant and 17 rifampin-sensitive strains) cultured between 1990 and 1997 were analyzed by a number of bacteriologica l and molecular techniques. Examination of the drug resistance profiles of the 33 rifampin-resistant isolates revealed that 91% were resistant to rifa mpin in combination with resistance to isoniazid, 88% were resistant to rif ampin on first isolation, and 81% showed cross-resistance with rifabutin, O n the basis of the demographic data provided for the patients infected with the rifampin-resistant strains, 90% of the patients were born overseas. Of these patients, 64% developed clinical symptoms within 5 years of residenc e in Australia. On a molecular level, analysis of the rpoB gene revealed th at 97% of the rifampin-resistant isolates had missense mutations within a c onserved region of the gene, and eight types of missense mutations were det ected, Of the 31 rifampin-resistant isolates that were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, 28 distinct patterns were ob tained by RFLP analysis with IS6110, and three clusters of genetically rela ted isolates were identified. All isolates within the clusters were from pa tients who were born overseas and who had the same country of origin. The r esults from this study provide an overview of the current situation of rifa mpin resistance in Australia and can serve as a basis for continued monitor ing of drug-resistant ill. tuberculosis strains isolated within the country .