Molecular determinants of drug resistance in tuberculosis

Rapid detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) has become increasingly important in the era of pandemic human immunodeficiency virus infection an d antibiotic resistance. The identification of the molecular correlates of antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis have engendered the dev elopment of DNA-based assays for the identification of drug-resistant TB. T his review summarizes the recent discoveries concerning resistance to isoni azid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, streptomycin, amikacin, kanamycin and the quinolones.