Mycobacterium tuberculosisBeijing Genotype Strains Associated with Febrile Response to Treatment

Abstract
DNA fingerprinting has demonstrated predominance of the Beijing genotype among Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated in Southeast Asia. We prospectively examined the occurrence of Beijing genotype strains in tuber- culosis patients in Indonesia. Early in treatment, patients infected with Beijing genotype strains more often had fever unrelated to disease severity, toxicity, or drug resistance, indicating that Beijing genotype strains may have specific pathogenic properties.