MOLECULAR DETECTION OF MULTI DRUG RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS (MDR-TB) IN MDR-TB PATIENTS’ ATTENDANT IN NORTH WESTERN PAKISTAN

Tuberculosis.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the drugs susceptibility pattern of mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.TB) in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients’ attendants in North Western, Pakistan.
Study Design: Cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at Peshawar Tuberculosis Research Laboratory (PTRL), Provincial TB Control Program Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar, (KP) from August 2013 to March 2014.
Material and Methods: A cross sectional study in which four hundred and eighty sputum samples from MDR-TB patients’ attendants were processed for the detection of M.TB through Ziehl-Neelsen staining, Lowenstein-Jensen, BACTEC MGIT-960 culture and line probe assay.
Results: Out of 480 samples, 06 (2.1%) were found positive for M.TB through Ziehl-Neelsen staining while 10 (2.8%) were positive through LJ and BACTEC MGIT-960 culture. The 10 positive samples were further subjected to drugs susceptibility testing and line probes assay test to find out rifampicin, isoniazid, streptomycin and ethambutol resistant and it was found that 6 M.TB isolates were resistant while 4 were sensitive to rifampicin and isoniazid. Among the 6 resistant M.TB strains, 4 showed mutation in rpoB gene at 531, 516 and 526 codons.
Conclusion: Majority of MDR-TB patients’ attendants had drug-resistant tuberculosis and the rate of drug susceptible TB was low.