Detection of Isoniazid and Rifampicin Resistance by Sequencing of katG, inhA, and rpoB Genes in Korea

Abstract
In Korea, tuberculosis is resistant to isoniazid (INH) and/or rifampicin (RIF) in more than 10% of cases. To prevent the spread of resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, it is crucial to develop more rapid resistance detection methods. To determine the feasibility of using direct sequencing for detecting INH- and RIF-resistant strains, the katG gene, the regulatory region of the inhA gene, and the 81-bp hot-spot region of the rpoB gene from 95 culture isolates and 46 respiratory specimens were sequenced. Total 141 culture isolates were classified by conventional drug susceptibility testing (DST) as INH(R)/RIF(R) (N=30), INH(R)/RIF(S) (N=23), INH(S)/RIF(R) (N=15), and INH(S)/RIF(S) (N=73). Compared with phenotypic DST, the overall sensitivity and specificity of sequencing were 83.0% (44/53) and 96.6% (85/88), respectively, for INH resistance, and 93.3% (42/45) and 100% (96/96), respectively, for RIF resistance. The rates were similar between culture isolates and respiratory specimens. Interestingly, three specimens with inhA -15C>T mutation were susceptible to INH by conventional DST. Detection of mutations in the katG codon 315, the inhA regulatory region, and the hot-spot region of rpoB would be useful for rapid detection of INH and RIF resistance in Korea.

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