Rapid detection of ethambutol-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains by PCR-RFLP targeting embB codons 306 and 497 and iniA codon 501 mutations

Mutations at embB gene codons 306 and 497 and iniA gene codon 501 occur frequently in ethambutol (EMB)-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains worldwide. The identification of these mutations in resistant strains has been achieved by labor-intensive DNA sequencing or by tedious amplification protocols followed by restriction endonuclease digestion. In this report, we describe PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-based methods for determining substitutions at embB codons 306 and 497 and iniA codon 501 directly in BACTEC cultures of M. tuberculosis isolates. The wild-type and mutant alleles are revealed by easily interpretable and different RFLP patterns. The methods optimized initially on reference strains were tested directly on BACTEC cultures of 25 randomly selected clinical M. tuberculosis isolates, seven of which were determined to contain EMB-resistant strains by phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. The PCR-RFLP methods identified mutations in four of seven EMB-resistant strains with three isolates containing mutated embB codon 306 and one isolate containing mutated embB codon 497. The results of PCR-RFLP were confirmed by DNA sequencing. The worldwide prevalence figures for mutations at embB codons 306 and 497 and iniA codon 501 suggest that nearly half of EMB-resistant M. tuberculosis strains could be identified within one working day even in developing countries equipped with simple PCR technology instead of weeks required for phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. Further, since EMB resistance is also associated with multiple-drug resistance from some geographical locations, detection of EMB resistance may also lead to rapid identification of multidrug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis embB codon 306 mutations confer moderately increased resistance to ethambutol in vitro and in vivo

Ethambutol (EMB) is a major component of the first-line therapy of tuberculosis. Mutations in codon 306 of embB (embB306) were suggested as a major resistance mechanism in clinical isolates. To directly analyze the impact of individual embB306 mutations on EMB resistance, we used allelic exchange experiments to generate embB306 mutants of M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The level of EMB resistance conferred by particular mutations was measured in vitro and in vivo after EMB therapy by daily gavage in a mouse model of aerogenic tuberculosis. The wild-type embB306 ATG codon was replaced by embB306 ATC, ATA, or GTG, respectively. All of the obtained embB306 mutants exhibited a 2- to 4-fold increase in EMB MIC compared to the wild-type H37Rv. In vivo, the one selected embB306 GTG mutant required a higher dose of ethambutol to restrict its growth in the lung compared to wild-type H37Rv. These experiments demonstrate that embB306 point mutations enhance the EMB MIC in vitro to a moderate, but significant extent, and reduce the efficacy of EMB treatment in the animal model. We propose that conventional EMB susceptibility testing, in combination with embB306 genotyping, may guide dose adjustment to avoid clinical treatment failure in these low-level resistant strains.     

Significance of mutations in embB codon 306 for prediction of ethambutol resistance in clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates

We analyzed 159 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates (101 ethambutol [EMB]-resistant strains, 33 multidrug-resistant but not EMB-resistant strains, and 25 fully susceptible strains) for the presence of mutations in embB codon 306 (embB306). Mutations were detected only in EMB-resistant strains (n = 69; 68%), thus confirming the significance of embB306 mutations for the prediction of resistance to EMB.     

Transfer of embB codon 306 mutations into clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains alters susceptibility to ethambutol, isoniazid, and rifampin

Implicated as a major mechanism of ethambutol (EMB) resistance in clinical studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mutations in codon 306 of the embB gene (embB306) have also been detected in EMB-susceptible clinical isolates. Other studies have found strong associations between embB306 mutations and multidrug resistance, but not EMB resistance. We performed allelic exchange studies in EMB-susceptible and EMB-resistant clinical M. tuberculosis isolates to identify the role of embB306 mutations in any type of drug resistance. Replacing wild-type embB306 ATG from EMB-susceptible clinical M. tuberculosis strain 210 with embB306 ATA, ATC, CTG, or GTG increased the EMB MIC from 2 microg/ml to 7, 7, 8.5, and 14 microg/ml, respectively. Replacing embB306 ATC or GTG from two high-level EMB-resistant clinical strains with wild-type ATG lowered EMB MICs from 20 microg/ml or 28 microg/ml, respectively, to 3 microg/ml. All parental and isogenic mutant strains had identical isoniazid (INH) and rifampin (RIF) MICs. However, embB306 CTG mutants had growth advantages compared to strain 210 at sub-MICs of INH or RIF in monocultures and at sub-MICs of INH in competition assays. CTG mutants were also more resistant to the additive or synergistic activities of INH, RIF, or EMB used in different combinations. These results demonstrate that embB306 mutations cause an increase in the EMB MIC, a variable degree of EMB resistance, and are necessary but not sufficient for high-level EMB resistance. The unusual growth property of embB306 mutants in other antibiotics suggests that they may be amplified during treatment in humans and that a single mutation may affect antibiotic susceptibility against multiple first-line antibiotics.     

青岛地区结核分枝杆菌embB306基因突变特征与乙胺丁醇耐药的关系

目的：探讨青岛地区结核分枝杆菌 embB306突变特征与乙胺丁醇耐药的关系。方法应用聚合酶链反应（PCR）-DNA 测序法对来自青岛地区36株乙胺丁醇耐药和48株乙胺丁醇敏感的结核分枝杆菌的 embB 基因片段进行分析。结果48株乙胺丁醇敏感菌株中均未发生 embB306突变,而36株乙胺丁醇耐药菌株中有20株发生了embB306突变,突变率为55．6％;embB306突变在乙胺丁醇敏感菌株和乙胺丁醇耐药菌株中的分布差异具有统计学意义（χ2＝35．000,P ＜0．01）。结论在青岛地区,embB306的突变是青岛地区结核分枝杆菌对乙胺丁醇耐药的主要机制。     

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates resistant to both isoniazid and ethambutol

In performing radiometric susceptibility testing on over 2,000 patient isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during the past 6 years, we found that resistance to 7.5 microg/ml ethambutol (EMB) occurred only in isolates that are also resistant to 0.4 microg/ml isoniazid (INH). Using 157 selected isolates in the present study, we performed radiometric and agar proportion susceptibility tests and DNA sequencing of genetic regions associated with resistance to these two drugs. The goal was to study the occurrence of the common mutations associated with resistance to each drug and also to determine whether any particular INH-resistance-associated mutation occurred more often in combination with any particular EMB-resistance-associated mutation. In an analysis of 128 isolates resistant to 0.4 microg/ml INH, we found that a mutation at katG Ser315 was more common in isolates also resistant to 7.5 microg/ml EMB (61 of 67=91.0%) than in isolates either susceptible to EMB or resistant to 2.5 microg/ml EMB (39 of 60=65.0%). These observations suggest that INH-resistant strains with a mutation at katG Ser315 are more likely to acquire resistance to 7.5 microg/ml EMB than are isolates with INH-resistance-associated mutations at other sites. In addition, we found that 64 of 67 (95.5%) isolates resistant to 7.5 microg/ml EMB contained a mutation in either codon 306 or codon 406 of embB. Met306Val was the most common embB mutation, present in 52 (77.6%) of the 67 isolates. Most occurrences of this mutation (49 of 52=94.2%) were found in isolates that also contained the katG Ser315Thr mutation. Finally, sequencing this region of embB appears to be sufficiently sensitive for use as a rapid screening tool for detection of high-level resistance to EMB.     

Role of embB codon 306 mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis revisited: a novel association with broad drug resistance and IS6110 clustering rather than ethambutol resistance

Mutations at position 306 of embB (embB306) have been proposed as a marker for ethambutol resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis; however, recent reports of embB306 mutations in ethambutol-susceptible isolates caused us to question the biological role of this mutation. We tested 1,020 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates with different drug susceptibility patterns and of different geographical origins for associations between embB306 mutations, drug resistance patterns, and major genetic group. One hundred isolates (10%) contained a mutation in embB306; however, only 55 of these mutants were ethambutol resistant. Mutations in embB306 could not be uniquely associated with any particular type of drug resistance and were found in all three major genetic groups. A striking association was observed between these mutations and resistance to any drug (P < 0.001), and the association between embB306 mutations and resistance to increasing numbers of drugs was highly significant (P < 0.001 for trend). We examined the association between embB306 mutations and IS6110 clustering (as a proxy for transmission) among all drug-resistant isolates. Mutations in embB306 were significantly associated with clustering by univariate analysis (odds ratio, 2.44; P = 0.004). In a multivariate model that also included mutations in katG315, katG463, gyrA95, and kasA269, only mutations in embB306 (odds ratio, 2.14; P = 0.008) and katG315 (odds ratio, 1.99; P = 0.015) were found to be independently associated with clustering. In conclusion, embB306 mutations do not cause classical ethambutol resistance but may predispose M. tuberculosis isolates to the development of resistance to increasing numbers of antibiotics and may increase the ability of drug-resistant isolates to be transmitted between subjects.     

探针熔解分析法快速检测结核分枝杆菌乙胺丁醇耐药突变

目的 评价探针熔解分析法快速检测结核分枝杆菌乙胺丁醇耐药突变的应用价值,为临床检测提供指导依据.方法 613份痰标本于2009年9月至2010年4月收集自厦门市疾病预防控制中心、厦门市第一医院和漳州市疾病预防控制中心.结核分枝杆菌H37Rv标准株来源于国家结核病参比实验室.37株包含结核与非结核分枝杆菌的标准盘由中国药品生物制品检定所提供.首先采用梯度稀释的野生型标准株H37Rv DNA考察探针熔解曲线分析法的分析灵敏度,然后用标准盘验证其检测特异性,最后以测序法为对照方法,采用613份结核分枝杆菌的标本评价该方法的临床应用价值.结果 探针熔解分析法可检测到3拷贝/反应,且能特异检测结核分枝杆菌.613份结核分枝杆菌的检测结果显示,符合要求的583份标本的试剂盒检测结果与测序结果完全一致,其中embB306突变菌株数为34株,embB 378-380突变菌株数为23株,embB 406突变菌株数为3株,embB 497突变菌株数为3株.结论 探针熔解分析法检测结核分枝杆菌乙胺丁醇耐药突变特异性好,灵敏度高,能有效地检测临床标本常见乙胺丁醇耐药突变位点,是值得推广的快速检测方法.

Abstract：

Objective To evaluate the potential use of a probe melting analysis (PMA) assay in detecting the embB mutations which confer resistance against ethambutol in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods The analysis sensitivity and specificity of PMA were investigated by detecting a serially diluted H37 Rv DNA and a reference panel from National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Product. Six hundred and thirteen sputum samples were collected from the Xiamen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xiamen First Hospital and Center for Zhangzhou Disease Control and Prevention from September 2009 to April 2010. The PMA assay was then evaluated by detecting 613 clinical isolates and the results were compared with the sequencing results. Results The PMA assay could specifically detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis and had a limit of detection of 3 copies per reaction. The assay results with 613 clinical isolates showed that PMA gave a 100% concordance with sequencing in the 583 qualified samples, among which 34 were mutations at embB 306,23 at embB 378-380, 3 at embB 406 and 3 at embB 497. Conclusions PMA assay is a sensitive and specific method enabling efficient detection of common embB mutations causing ethambutol-resistance. The rapidness of this method together with its reliability would facilitate its use in routine testing.     

Association between embB codon 306 mutations and drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

embB306 mutants were detected in both ethambutol (EMB)-resistant and EMB-susceptible strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains had a higher proportion of embB306 mutants than non-MDR strains (odds ratio, 6.78; P < 0.001). The embB306 locus is a candidate marker for rapid detection of MDR and extremely drug resistant tuberculosis.     

Ethambutol resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: critical role of embB mutations.

Ethambutol [(S,S')-2,2'-(ethylenediimino)di-1-butanol; EMB], is a first-line drug used to treat tuberculosis. To gain insight into the molecular basis of EMB resistance, we characterized the 10-kb embCAB locus in 16 EMB-resistant and 3 EMB-susceptible genetically distinct Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from diverse localities by automated DNA sequencing and single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis. All 19 organisms had virtually identical sequences for the entire 10-kb region. Eight EMB-resistant organisms had mutations located in codon 306 of embB that resulted in the replacement of the wild-type Met residue with Ile or Val. Automated sequence analysis of the 5' region (1,892 bp) of embB in an additional 69 EMB-resistant and 30 EMB-susceptible M. tuberculosis isolates from diverse geographic localities and representing 70 distinct IS6110 fingerprints confirmed the unique association of substitutions in amino acid residue 306 of EmbB with EMB resistance. Six other embB nucleotide substitutions resulting in four amino acid replacements were uniquely found in resistant strains. Sixty-nine percent of epidemiologically unassociated EMB-resistant organisms had an amino acid substitution not found in susceptible strains, and most (89%) replacements occurred at amino acid residue 306 of EmbB. For strains with the Met306Leu or Met306Val replacements EMB MICs were generally higher (40 microg/ml) than those for organisms with Met306Ile substitutions (20 microg/ml). The data are consistent with the idea that amino acid substitutions in EmbB alter the drug-protein interaction and thereby cause EMB resistance.     

耐多药结核分枝杆菌中embB基因突变与乙胺丁醇耐药的相关性研究

目的 研究耐多药结核分枝菌中embB基因突变与乙胺丁醇耐药的相关性. 方法 比例法检测84株耐多药结核分枝杆菌的乙胺丁醇(EMB)耐药性,基因测序检测embB基因的突变,2检验分析二者之间的相关性. 结果 84株耐多药结核分枝杆菌中有43株(51.2%)对EMB耐药,41株(48.8%)对EMB敏感,57株耐多药菌株(67.9%)的embB基因发生突变.在43株EMB耐药菌株中,embB基因突变的菌株为40株(93.0%),而41株EMB敏感菌株中,embB基因突变的菌株为17株(41.5%),embB基因在耐药菌株中的突变频率远高于敏感菌株(2=25.58,P=0.00).embB306是最常见的突变位点,其在耐药菌株的突变率也高于敏感菌株(2=12.37,P=0.00),embB基因和embB306位点检测EMB耐药的敏感度、特异度和准确性分别为93.0%和65.1%,58.5%和73.2%,76.2%和69.0%. 结论 EMB耐药的产生与embB基因和embB306突变有关,二者用于检测EMB耐药有一定的参考意义.     

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains

Of 142 pulmonary tuberculosis patients, 76 were considered high risk for the development of resistance, and 24 were confirmed as resistant strain carriers. Resistant isoniazid strains presented a high frequency of katG and ahpC mutations (90%) correlated with an MIC >4 microg/mL (94%). inhA mutations were not seen. rpoB mutations were identified in 78.6% of rifampicin-resistant strains, usually in codon 531 (72.7%), and 75% had an MIC >16 microg/mL. katG and rpoB mutations recognized 88.2% of multidrug-resistant strains and proved more efficient than the katG and rpoB mutations alone. Seventy percent of resistant pyrazinamide strains had pncA mutations between genes 136 and 188, 62.5% of them with an MIC >900 microg/mL. Pyrazinamidase inactivity was not an efficient resistance marker because 60% of pncA-mutated strains maintained enzymatic activity despite displaying good correlation with high resistance levels. Resistant ethambutol strains had embB mutations in codon 306, with MIC >16 microg/mL.     

四川德阳地区结核分枝杆菌耐药基因突变位点的分布特点及基因型耐药的分析

目的探讨四川德阳地区结核分枝杆菌耐药基因突变位点的分布特点及基因型耐药的分析。方法收集在2010年2月-2013年3月检出的257例肺结核病患者结核分枝杆菌DNA阳性的痰液标本,采用聚合酶链式反应（PCR）和反向点杂交（RDB）相结合的基因芯片技术对结核分枝杆菌耐药基因突变位点进行检测和分析。结果 257例肺结核患者中检测出49例存在结核分枝杆菌耐药基因位点突变,其中发生katG 315、rpsL43、embB 306和rpoB 531丝氨酸（S531L）位点突变的分别为30例（11.67%）、18例（7.00%）、11例（4.28%）和10例（3.89%）。234例初治肺结核患者对异烟肼、利福平、乙胺丁醇及链霉素的基因型耐药率分别为9.83%、4.27%、3.42%和5.13%,耐多药率为2.99%;23例复治肺结核患者对上述药物的基因型耐药率分别为52.17%、26.09%、13.04%和43.48%,耐多药率为13.04%。初治患者的基因型耐药率及耐多药率均明显低于复治患者。结论四川德阳地区结核分枝杆菌常见耐药基因突变位点分别为katG 315、rpsL 43、embB 306和rpoB 531丝氨酸（S531L）突变位点;肺结核初治患者的基因型耐药率及耐多药率均明显低于复治患者;该地区肺结核的耐多药率相对较低。     

Novel mutations within the embB gene in ethambutol-susceptible clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Genetic analysis of the embB gene revealed mutations in 17 (68%) of 25 ethambutol (EMB) resistant isolates (M306I, M306V, M306L, Q497R) but also in 4 (20%) of 20 EMB-susceptible isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, namely, an ATG-->ATM substitution resulting in M306I, G406N, and the novel alterations M423I and A659T.     

embB 306位点作为耐多药结核分枝杆菌分子检测标记初探

目的 研究embB基因306位点(embB 306)突变在耐多药结核分枝杆菌中的分布,探讨以该位点作为耐多药分子检测标记的应用前景.方法 从上海疾病预防控制中心获得其保存的已知耐药表型的结核分枝杆菌291株,使用错配PCR及DNA测序两种方法检测其embB 306位点的突变,分析耐药表型与结核分枝杆菌embB 306位点的突变的相关性.结果 74株耐多药菌株中有38株(51.4%)该位点有突变(X2=93.8,P<0.01),而其他24株多耐药菌株中有9株(37.5%)为embB 306突变株(X2=60.1,P<0.01);41株耐单药菌株中仅有2株(4.9%)存在该位点的突变(X2=6.8,P=0.0093),而152株全敏感菌株中无一存在该位点突变.以embB 306位点作为耐多药结核分枝杆菌(MDR-TB)分子检测标记的特异度达94.9%(206/217).结论 以embB 306作为耐药突变位点,特别是耐多药结核分枝杆菌的分子检测标记,具有一定的灵敏度和较高的特异度,而且检测方法简单易行,可用于耐多药结核分枝杆菌的临床快速检测.     

Mutation at embB Codon 306, a Potential Marker for the Identification of Multidrug Resistance Associated with Ethambutol in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Ethambutol inhibits arabinogalactan and lipoarabinomannan biosynthesis in mycobacteria. The occurrence of mutations in embB codon 306 in ethambutol-susceptible isolates and their absence in resistant isolates has raised questions regarding the utility of this codon as a potential marker for resistance against ethambutol. The characterization of mutations on embB 306 will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to this drug; therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between embB 306 mutations and first-line drug resistance profiles in tuberculosis isolates. We sequenced the region surrounding the embB 306 codon in 175 tuberculosis clinical isolates, divided according to drug sensitivity, in three groups: 110 were resistant to at least one first-line drug, of which 61 were resistant to ethambutol (EMB^r), 49 were sensitive to ethambutol (EMB^s) but were resistant to another drug, and 65 were pansensitive isolates (P^s). The associations between embB 306 mutations and phenotypic resistance to all first-line drugs were determined, and their validity and safety as a diagnostic marker were assessed. One of the P^s isolates (1/65), one of the EMB^s isolates (1/49), and 20 of the EMB^r isolates (20/61) presented with an embB 306 mutation. Four different single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at embB 306 were associated with simultaneous resistance to ethambutol, isoniazid, and rifampin (odds ratio [OR], 17.7; confidence interval [CI], 5.6 to 56.1) and showed a positive predictive value of 82%, with a specificity of 97% for diagnosing multidrug resistance associated with ethambutol, indicating its potential as a molecular marker for several drugs.     

浙江省丽水市结核分枝杆菌临床分离株耐药性及基因突变情况

目的 调查浙江省丽水市结核病定点医院患者结核分枝杆菌（MTB）临床分离株耐药特征及耐药基因突变情况，为该地区耐药结核病防控提供依据。方法 采用荧光PCR熔解曲线法对培养自丽水市结核病定点医院结核病患者MTB临床分离株进行抗结核药物耐药性及耐药基因突变位点检测及分析。结果 242株MTB总耐药突变占16.53%(40/242)，耐多药率为4.96%(12/242)，耐药顺位分别为异烟肼>链霉素>利福平>氟喹诺酮类>乙胺丁醇。链霉素耐药株基因突变位点主要发生在rpsL43位密码子，占比为65.00%(13/20)；异烟肼耐药基因突变位点主要发生在katG315密码子，占比为76.19%(14/21)；利福平耐药基因突变位点主要发生在rpoB基因529-533位密码子，占比为61.11%(11/18)；乙胺丁醇耐药基因突变位点主要发生在embB306位密码子，占77.78%(7/9)。结论 丽水市结核患者总体耐药突变低于全国耐药水平，但耐药模式和耐药基因突变情况仍较为复杂，需进一步加强耐药结核病监测及防控工作。     

Rapid direct detection of multiple rifampin and isoniazid resistance mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory samples by real-time PCR

Rapid detection of resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis can optimize the efficacy of antituberculous therapy and control the transmission of resistant M. tuberculosis strains. Real-time PCR has minimized the time required to obtain the susceptibility pattern of M. tuberculosis strains, but little effort has been made to adapt this rapid technique to the direct detection of resistance from clinical samples. In this study, we adapted and evaluated a real-time PCR design for direct detection of resistance mutations in clinical respiratory samples. The real-time PCR was evaluated with (i) 11 clinical respiratory samples harboring bacilli resistant to isoniazid (INH) and/or rifampin (RIF), (ii) 10 culture-negative sputa spiked with a set of strains encoding 14 different resistance mutations in 10 independent codons, and (iii) 16 sputa harboring susceptible strains. The results obtained with this real-time PCR design completely agreed with DNA sequencing data. In all sputa harboring resistant M. tuberculosis strains, the mutation encoding resistance was successfully detected. No mutation was detected in any of the susceptible sputa. The test was applied only to smear-positive specimens and succeeded in detecting a bacterial load equivalent to 10(3) CFU/ml in sputum samples (10 acid-fast bacilli/line). The analytical specificity of this method was proved with a set of 14 different non-M. tuberculosis bacteria. This real-time PCR design is an adequate method for the specific and rapid detection of RIF and INH resistance in smear-positive clinical respiratory samples.     

Lack of correlation between embB mutation and ethambutol MIC in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from China

Seventy-four Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from China were subjected to drug susceptibility testing using ethambutol, isoniazid, rifampin, and ofloxacin. The results revealed that the presence of embB mutations did not correlate with ethambutol resistance but was associated with multiple-drug resistance, especially resistance to both ethambutol and rifampin.     

Culture-independent prediction of isoniazid resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis by katG gene analysis directly from sputum samples.

BACKGROUND: The molecular prediction of isoniazid (INH) resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is hampered by the need for specialized equipment, expertise, high costs, a limited range of detectable mutations, or several of these factors. The rationale for the study was to find a practical alternative and to demonstrate generally valid problems. METHODS AND RESULTS: DNA extracted from decontaminated sputum pellets was used to amplify a 0.26 kb target sequence within the katG gene. Mutations of codon 315, frequently found in isoniazid-resistant isolates, could be discriminated in a simple agarose minigel format following an AciI digest of the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product. Within a panel of 22 sputum samples, INH resistance could be predicted in 5 of 10 samples containing isoniazid-resistant M. tuberculosis. The protocol is robust, requires little expertise and no specialized equipment, and provides the test results within 2 days. CONCLUSION: The results show the feasibility to rapidly and easily detect mutations highly predictive of isoniazid resistance. Nevertheless, this, like any other molecular resistance prediction test, is affected by often neglected factors, including mutation prevalences, the phenomenon of heteroresistance, and a possible bias toward one's own method.