Detection of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated in Brazil using a multimarker genetic assay for katG and rpoB genes (original) (raw)

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) poses a significant public health challenge, particularly in endemic regions like Brazil. This study evaluates the predictive value of specific mutations in the katG and rpoB genes as markers for detecting MDRTB in strains isolated from these areas. Through a multimarker genetic assay, the researchers found a 41.9% mutation frequency in katG, 25.6% in inhA, and 69.8% in rpoB among multidrug-resistant strains. The combination of katG/S315T and rpoB/S531L mutations demonstrated superior sensitivity (86%) compared to single-marker analysis (62.8%), suggesting that a simpler dual-marker panel could optimize diagnostics, reduce costs, and maintain accuracy. The findings highlight the implications for rapid and cost-effective detection of MDRTB, potentially improving treatment outcomes.