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Identification of a locus in arabidopsis controlling both the expression of rhizobacteria-mediated induced systemic resistance (ISR) and basal resistance against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato.

Selected nonpathogenic rhizobacteria with biological disease control activity are able to elicit an induced systemic resistance (ISR) response that is phenotypically similar to pathogen-induced systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Ten ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana were screened for their potential to express rhizobacteria-mediated ISR and pathogen-induced SAR against the leaf pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst). All ecotypes expressed SAR. However, of the 10 ecotypes tested, ecotypes RLD and Wassilewskija (Ws) did not develop ISR after treatment of the roots with nonpathogenic Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS417r bacteria. This nonresponsive phenotype was associated with relatively high susceptibility to Pst infection. The F1 progeny of crosses between the non-responsive ecotypes RLD and Ws on the one hand, and the responsive ecotypes Columbia (Col) and Landsberg erecta (Ler) on the other hand, were fully capable of expressing ISR and exhibited a relatively high level of basal resistance, similar to that of their WCS417r-responsive parent. This indicates that the potential to express ISR and the relatively high level of basal resistance against Pst are both inherited as dominant traits. Analysis of the F2 and F3 progeny of a Col x RLD cross revealed that inducibility of ISR and relatively high basal resistance against Pst cosegregate in a 3:1 fashion, suggesting that both resistance mechanisms are monogenically determined and genetically linked. Neither the responsiveness to WCS417r nor the relatively high level of basal resistance against Pst were complemented in the F1 progeny of crosses between RLD and Ws, indicating that RLD and Ws are both affected in the same locus, necessary for the expression of ISR and basal resistance against Pst. The corresponding locus, designated ISR1, was mapped between markers B4 and GL1 on chromosome 3. The observed association between ISR and basal resistance against Pst suggests that rhizobacteria-mediated ISR against Pst in Arabidopsis requires the presence of a single dominant gene that functions in the basal resistance response against Pst infection.

Arabidopsis↗

Apple contains receptor-like genes homologous to the Cladosporium fulvum resistance gene family of tomato with a cluster of genes cosegregating with Vf apple scab resistance.

Scab caused by the fungal pathogen Venturia inaequalis is the most common disease of cultivated apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.). Monogenic resistance against scab is found in some small-fruited wild Malus species and has been used in apple breeding for scab resistance. Vf resistance of Malus floribunda 821 is the most widely used scab resistance source. Because breeding a high-quality cultivar in perennial fruit trees takes dozens of years, cloning disease resistance genes and using them in the transformation of high-quality apple varieties would be advantageous. We report the identification of a cluster of receptor-like genes with homology to the Cladosporium fulvum (Cf) resistance gene family of tomato on bacterial artificial chromosome clones derived from the Vf scab resistance locus. Three members of the cluster were sequenced completely. Similar to the Cf gene family of tomato, the deduced amino acid sequences coded by these genes contain an extracellular leucine-rich repeat domain and a transmembrane domain. The transcription of three members of the cluster was determined by reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction to be constitutive, and the transcription and translation start of one member was verified by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. We discuss the parallels between Cf resistance of tomato and Vf resistance of apple and the possibility that one of the members of the gene cluster is the Vf gene. Cf homologs from other regions of the apple genome also were identified and are likely to present other scab resistance genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Central memory CD4 T cells are the predominant cell subset resistant to anergy in SIV disease resistant sooty mangabeys.

OBJECTIVE: HIV infection in humans and experimental SIV infection in rhesus macaques leads to the loss of recall antigen responses, immunological anergy in CD4 T cells and AIDS. In contrast, natural infection in sooty mangabeys with SIV does not lead to disease despite high viral loads accompanied by resistance of their CD4 T cells to undergo immunological anergy. The objective of the study was to further elucidate the mechanisms that contribute to anergy resistance in CD4 T cells from sooty mangabeys and identify whether the anergy resistance is a function of a specific subset or the entire cell population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Susceptibility or resistance to anergy was analyzed in antigen specific and defined CD4 T cell subsets from peripheral blood of sooty mangabeys and rhesus macaques by using an in vitro anergy inducing protocol; expression of the anergy associated gene GRAIL was measured. RESULTS: Antigen specific CD4 T cells from SIV disease resistant sooty mangabey are relatively resistant to the development of anergy. This resistance is associated with a lack of an upregulation of GRAIL. Conversely, rhesus macaque CD4 T cells are sensitive to anergy induction associated with upregulation of GRAIL. Furthermore the anergy resistant phenotype of sooty mangabey CD4 T cells predominantly resides in central memory cells defined either as CD4+CD45RA-CD62L+ or CD4+CD28+CD95+CCR7+. CONCLUSIONS: The maintenance of recall responses in sooty mangabeys is associated with the resistance of central memory CD4 T cells to the induction of anergy which may represent an important mechanism underlying SIV disease resistance in this species.

Animals↗

Aphid resistance in Medicago truncatula involves antixenosis and phloem-specific, inducible antibiosis, and maps to a single locus flanked by NBS-LRR resistance gene analogs.

Aphids and related insects feed from a single cell type in plants: the phloem sieve element. Genetic resistance to Acyrthosiphon kondoi Shinji (bluegreen aphid or blue alfalfa aphid) has been identified in Medicago truncatula Gaert. (barrel medic) and backcrossed into susceptible cultivars. The status of M. truncatula as a model legume allows an in-depth study of defense against this aphid at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels. In this study, two closely related resistant and susceptible genotypes were used to characterize the aphid-resistance phenotype. Resistance conditions antixenosis since migratory aphids were deterred from settling on resistant plants within 6 h of release, preferring to settle on susceptible plants. Analysis of feeding behavior revealed the trait affects A. kondoi at the level of the phloem sieve element. Aphid reproduction on excised shoots demonstrated that resistance requires an intact plant. Antibiosis against A. kondoi is enhanced by prior infestation, indicating induction of this phloem-specific defense. Resistance segregates as a single dominant gene, AKR (Acyrthosiphon kondoi resistance), in two mapping populations, which have been used to map the locus to a region flanked by resistance gene analogs predicted to encode the CC-NBS-LRR subfamily of resistance proteins. This work provides the basis for future molecular analysis of defense against phloem parasitism in a plant model system.

Animals↗

Cross-Resistance to Herbicides in Annual Ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) : III. On the Mechanism of Resistance to Diclofop-Methyl.

Annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) biotype SLR 31 is resistant to the postemergent graminicide methyl-2-[4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy]-propanoate (diclofop-methyl). Uptake of [(14)C](U-phenyl)diclofop-methyl and root/shoot distribution of radioactivity in susceptible and resistant plants were similar. In both biotypes, diclofop-methyl was rapidly demethylated to the biocidal metabolite diclofop acid which, in turn, was metabolized to ester and aryl-O-sugar conjugates. Susceptible plants accumulated 5 to 15% more radioactivity in dicloflop acid than did resistant plants. Resistant plants had a slightly greater capacity to form nonbiocidal sugar conjugates. Despite these differences, resistant plants retained 20% of (14)C in the biocidal metabolite diclofop acid 192 hours after treatment, whereas susceptible plants, which were close to death, retained 30% in diclofop acid. The small differences in the pool sizes of the active and inactive metabolites are by themselves unlikely to account for a 30-fold difference in sensitivity to the herbicide at the whole plant level. Similar high-pressure liquid chromatography elution patterns of conjugates from both susceptible and resistant biotypes indicated that the mechanisms and the products of catabolism in the biotypes are similar. It is suggested that metabolism of diclofop-methyl by the resistant biotype does not alone explain resistance observed at the whole-plant level. Diclofop acid reduced the electrochemical potential of membranes in etiolated coleoptiles of both biotypes; 50% depolarization required 1 to 4 mum diclofop acid. After removal of diclofop acid, membranes from the resistant biotype recovered polarity, whereas membranes from the susceptible biotype did not. Internal concentrations of diclofop acid 4 h after exposing plants to herbicide were estimated to be 36 to 39 micromolar in a membrane fraction and 16 to 17 micromolar in a soluble fraction. Such concentrations should be sufficient to fully depolarize membranes. It is postulated that differences in the ability of membranes to recover from depolarization are correlated with the resistance response of biotype SLR 31.

Journal Article↗

Tamper-resistant packaging: is it elder-resistant, too?

A tamper-resistant package has an indicator or barrier to entry that, if breached or missing, can reasonably be expected to provide visible evidence to consumers that tampering has occurred. Regulations to implement tamper-resistant packaging on all over-the-counter drugs and certain cosmetics began in February 1983. Tamper-resistant packaging, like child-resistant packaging, may impede access by the elderly and other adults who have mental, motor, and/or sensory disabilities. This article describes: the reasons for the increasing use of over-the-counter medications in the prevention and treatment of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly; the types of difficulties encountered in opening tamper-resistant packaging; the causes of these inaccessibility problems; the methods to correct them; and testing procedures to determine whether the existing designs of tamper-resistant packaging are accessible by the elderly and adults with selected disabilities. Testing of individual types of tamper-resistant packaging, multiple types of tamper-resistant packagings on the same container, and combinations of tamper-resistant packagings and child-resistant packagings on groups of normal elderly people and those with selected disabilities is necessary to guarantee accessibility to the growing number of therapeutically efficacious nonprescription medications used by these populations.

Aged↗

A locus on mouse chromosome 6 that determines resistance to herpes simplex virus also influences reactivation, while an unlinked locus augments resistance of female mice.

During studies to determine a role for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection using TNF receptor null mutant mice, we discovered a genetic locus, closely linked to the TNF p55 receptor (Tnfrsf1a) gene on mouse chromosome 6 (c6), that determines resistance or susceptibility to HSV-1. We named this locus the herpes resistance locus, Hrl, and showed that it also mediates resistance to HSV-2. Hrl has at least two alleles, Hrl(r), expressed by resistant strains like C57BL/6 (B6), and Hrl(s), expressed by susceptible strains like 129S6 (129) and BALB/c. Although Hrl is inherited as an autosomal dominant gene, resistance to HSV-1 is strongly sex biased such that female mice are significantly more resistant than male mice. Analysis of backcrosses between resistant B6 and susceptible 129 mice revealed that a second locus, tentatively named the sex modifier locus, Sml, functions to augment resistance of female mice. Besides determining resistance, Hrl is one of several genes involved in the control of HSV-1 replication in the eye and ganglion. Remarkably, Hrl also affects reactivation of HSV-1, possibly by interaction with some unknown gene(s). We showed that Hrl is distinct from Cmv1, the gene that determines resistance to murine cytomegalovirus, which is encoded in the major NK cell complex just distal of p55 on c6. Hrl has been mapped to a roughly 5-centimorgan interval on c6, and current efforts are focused on obtaining a high-resolution map for Hrl.

Animals↗

Analysis of sugarcane mosaic virus resistance in maize in an isogenic dihybrid crossing scheme and implications for breeding potyvirus-resistant maize hybrids.

The gene action of 2 sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) resistance loci in maize, Scmv1 and Scmv2, was evaluated for potyvirus resistance in an isogenic background. All 4 homozygous and 5 heterozygous isogenic genotypes were produced for introgressions of the resistant donor (FAP1360A) alleles at both loci into the susceptible parent (F7) genetic background using simple sequence repeat markers. For SCMV and maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV), virus symptoms appeared rapidly in the 3 homozygous genotypes, with susceptibility alleles fixed at 1 or both loci. Although the 9 isogenic genotypes revealed a high level of resistance to Zea mosaic virus (ZeMV), the same 3 homozygous genotypes were only partially resistant. This indicates that 1 resistance gene alone is not sufficient for complete resistance against SCMV, MDMV, and ZeMV. Scmv1 showed strong early and complete dominant gene action to SCMV, but it gradually became partially dominant. Scmv2 was not detected at the beginning, showing dominant gene action initially and additive gene action at later stages. Both genes interacted epistatically (for a high level of resistance, at least 1 resistance allele at each of both loci is required). This implies that double heterozygotes at the 2 loci are promising for producing SCMVresistant hybrids. Results are discussed with respect to prospects for isolation of SCMV and MDMV resistance genes.

Breeding↗

Spatial and temporal distribution of induced resistance to greenbug (Homoptera: Aphididae) herbivory in preconditioned resistant and susceptible near isogenic plants of wheat.

Interactions between biotype E greenbugs, Schizaphis graminum (Rodani), and two near isogenic lines of the greenbug resistance gene Gb3 of wheat, Triticum aestivum L., were examined for 62 d after infestation. By comparing aphid performance and host responses on control and greenbug-preconditioned plants, we demonstrated that systemic resistance to greenbug herbivory was inducible in the resistant genotype with varying intensities and effectiveness in different parts of the plants. Preconditioning of susceptible plants resulted in modification of within-plant aphid distribution and reduction of cumulative greenbug densities, but it showed no effect on reducing greenbug feeding damage to host plant. Preconditioning of resistant plants altered greenbug population dynamics by reducing the size and buffering the fluctuation of the aphid population. Preconditioning in the first (oldest) leaf of the resistant plant had no phenotypically detectable effect in the stem and induced susceptibility locally in the first leaf within the first 2 d after infestation. The preconditioning-induced resistance reduced greenbug density, delayed aphid density peaks and extended the life of younger leaves in resistant plants. Expression of induced resistance was spatially and temporally dynamic within the plant, which occurred more rapidly, was longer in duration, and stronger in intensity in younger leaves. Host resistance gene-mediated induced resistance was effective in lowering greenbug performance and reducing damage from greenbug herbivory in host plants. Results from this study supported the optimal defense theory regarding within-plant defense allocation.

Animals↗

Hybrid resistance to BALB/c plasmacytomas. I. Resistance to MPC-11 controlled by a locus not linked to H-2.

Genetic control of hybrid resistance to the BALB/c plasmacytoma MPC-11 was investigated. The results indicate that a single dominant autosomal gene or gene complex, which segregates independently of H-2 and the coat color c and b-loci, controls resistance to this tumor. This gene has the same strain distribution pattern in the CXB Bailey recombinant inbred strains as three unlinked genes, H-2, Ly-4, and Ea-4. It is possible, therefore, that it could be linked to either of the latter two loci. Strains that carry a positive allele for resistance are C57BL/10 and all of its congenic resistant partners tested, C57BL/6, C57L, C57BL/Ks, AKR, and DBA/1. BALB/c and its congenic resistant partners are presumed to carry a negative allele of the gene for resistance to MPC-11. Strains such as SJL, DBA/2, and A and its congenic resistant partners, which form susceptible hybrids with BALB/c, could carry either the negative allele of the gene for resistance, like BALB/c, or could carry both a positive allele of the gene and some other gene conferring susceptibility on the hybrids. Heterozygosity within the H-2 complex increases resistance only in the presence of this non-H-2 linked gene for resistance, and the effect maps to the left of the H-2D region.

Animals↗

Survey of resistance to metals and volatilization activity of Hg-resistant R plasmids in Citrobacter isolated from clinical lesions in Japan.

Clinical isolates of Citrobacter (277 strains) were studied for the resistance to four metals and four drugs. The distribution patterns of their susceptibility to Hg, Cd and As clearly revealed two peaks, but only a single peak of resistance to Pb. The frequencies of resistance to Hg, Cd, As, SM, TC, CP and KM were 31.8, 94.2, 57.8, 51.3, 44.8, 35.7 and 28.9%, respectively. And we selected 88 mercury resistant strains, and they were tested for their ability to transfer the resistance to the mercury and drug sensitive recipients of E. coli K12-ML1410-Nx and E. coli JE17-Rif. Among 88 strains of Hg resistant Citrobacter, 80 R plasmids with Hg resistance could be demonstrated. It should be noted that transferable R plasmids with Hg resistance were demonstrated in 91% of the Hg-resistant isolates. Furthermore, we tested the volatilization of mercury by strains containing these mercury resistance plasmids, by using radioactive 203Hg2+. All of these isolates of Citrobacter have volatilization activity of Hg2+. Also, all of these volatilization activity is inducible.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Resistant mechanisms of anthracyclines--pirarubicin might partly break through the P-glycoprotein-mediated drug-resistance of human breast cancer tissues.

Juliano and Ling initially reported the expression of a 170 kDa glycoprotein in the membrane of Chinese hamster ovarian cells in 1976, and named this glycoprotein P-glycoprotein (P-gp) based on its predicted role of causing "permeability" of the cell membrane. After much research on anthracycline-resistance, this P-gp was finally characterized as a multidrug-resistant protein coded by the mdr1 gene. Multidrug resistance associated protein (MRP) was initially cloned from H69AR, a human small cell-lung carcinoma cell line which is resistant to doxorubicin (DXR) but does not express P-gp. MRP also excretes substrates through the cell membrane using energy from ATP catabolism. The substrate of MRP is conjugated with glutathione before active efflux from cell membrane. Recently, membrane transporter proteins were re-categorized as members of "ATP-Binding Cassette transporter"(ABC-transporter) superfamily, as shown at http://www.med.rug.nl/mdl/humanabc.htm and http://www.gene.ucl.ac.uk/nomenclature/genefamily/abc.html. A total of ABC transporters have been defined, and MDR1 and multidrug resistance associated protein 1 (MRP1) were reclassified as ABCB1 and ABCC1, respectively. Their associated superfamilies include 11 and 13 other protein, in addition to ABCB and ABCC, respectively. Lung resistance-related protein (LRP) is not a member of the superfamily of ABC transporter proteins, because it shows nuclear membrane expression and transports substrate between nucleus and cytoplasm. LRP was initially cloned from a non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line, SW1573/2R120 which is resistant to DXR, vincristine, etoposide and gramicidin D and does not express P-gp. The mechanisms of resistance remains unclear, and why some resistant cell lines express P-gp and others express MRP and/or LRP is likewise unclear.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Reactive oxygen species-specific mechanisms of drug resistance in paraquat-resistant acute myelogenous leukemia sublines.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-specific mechanisms of drug resistance were explored in paraquat (PQ)-resistant acute myelogenous leukemia cell (OCI/AML-2) sublines. For this, PQ-resistant AML sublines, AML-2/PQ100 and AML-2/PQ400, were selected in the presence of PQ concentrations of 100 microg/ml and 400 microg/ml, respectively. They showed a moderate level of cross resistance to cisplatin and doxorubicin. They were also slightly more resistant than the parental cell (AML-2/WT) to etoposide, camptothecin and daunorubicin. The resistance of PQ-resistant AML-2 sublines to cisplatin seemed to be due to increased amounts of metallothionein, which was not only supported by reversal of resistance to cisplatin by propargylglycin (an inhibitor of metallothionein synthesis) but also confirmed by Western blot analysis and reverse transcription-PCR assay. In addition, both AML-PQ100 and /PQ400 sublines showed increased activities of Cu-, Zn-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) and Mn-containing superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), whereas AML-2/PQ400, but not AML-2/PQ100, showed increased glutathione S-transferase activity as compared to that of AML-2/WT. However, there was no difference in other ROS-related cellular antioxidants between AML-2/WT and its PQ-resistant sublines. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that increases in levels of metallothionein, glutathione S-transferase, Cu,Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD play important roles in protective mechanisms against toxicity of PQ or ROS in AML cells.

Alkynes↗

Resistance in nonfermenting gram-negative bacteria: multidrug resistance to the maximum.

Nonfermenting gram-negative bacteria pose a particular difficulty for the healthcare community because they represent the problem of multidrug resistance to the maximum. Important members of the group in the United States include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Burkholderia cepacia. These organisms are niche pathogens that primarily cause opportunistic healthcare-associated infections in patients who are critically ill or immunocompromised. Multidrug resistance is common and increasing among gram-negative nonfermenters, and a number of strains have now been identified that exhibit resistance to essentially all commonly used antibiotics, including antipseudomonal penicillins and cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and carbapenems. Polymyxins are the remaining antibiotic drug class with fairly consistent activity against multidrug-resistant strains of P aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp, and S maltophilia. However, most multidrug-resistant B cepacia are not susceptible to polymyxins, and systemic polymyxins carry the risk of nephrotoxicity for all patients treated with these agents, the elderly in particular. A variety of resistance mechanisms have been identified in P aeruginosa and other gram-negative nonfermenters, including enzyme production, overexpression of efflux pumps, porin deficiencies, and target-site alterations. Multiple resistance genes frequently coexist in the same organism. Multidrug resistance in gram-negative nonfermenters makes treatment of infections caused by these pathogens both difficult and expensive. Improved methods for susceptibility testing are needed when dealing with these organisms, including emerging strains expressing metallo-beta-lactamases. Improved antibiotic stewardship and infection-control measures will be needed to prevent or slow the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant, nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli in the healthcare setting.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

Combined expression of multidrug resistance protein (MRP) and glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1) in MCF7 cells and high level resistance to the cytotoxicities of ethacrynic acid but not oxazaphosphorines or cisplatin.

We tested the hypothesis that combined increased expression of human glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1), an enzyme that catalyzes the conjugation with glutathione of several toxic electrophiles, and the glutathione-conjugate efflux pump, multidrug resistance protein (MRP), confers high level resistance to the cytotoxicities of anticancer and other drugs. To accomplish this, we developed MCF7 breast carcinoma cell derivatives that express high levels of GSTP1-1 and MRP, alone and in combination. Parental MCF7 cells, which express no GSTP1-1 and negligible MRP, served as control cells. We found that either MRP or GSTP1-1 alone conferred significant resistance to ethacrynic acid cytotoxicity. Moreover, combined expression of GSTP1-1 and MRP conferred a high level of resistance to ethacrynic acid that was greater than resistance conferred by either protein alone. Increased MRP was also associated with modest resistance to the oxazaphosphorine compounds mafosfamide, 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide, and 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide. However, coordinated expression of GSTP1-1 with MRP failed to augment this modest resistance. Similarly, GSTP1-1 had no effect on the sensitivities to cisplatin of MCF7 cells regardless of MRP expression. These results establish that coordinated expression of MRP and GSTP1-1 can confer high level resistance to the cytotoxicities of some drugs, including ethacrynic acid, but that such resistance is variable and does not apply to all toxic drugs that can potentially form glutathione conjugates in either spontaneous or GSTP1-1-catalyzed reactions.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Epidemiology of antituberculosis drug resistance (the Global Project on Anti-tuberculosis Drug Resistance Surveillance): an updated analysis.

BACKGROUND: The burden of tuberculosis is compounded by drug-resistant forms of the disease. This study aimed to analyse data on antituberculosis drug resistance gathered by the WHO and International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Global Project on Anti-tuberculosis Drug Resistance Surveillance. METHODS: Data on drug susceptibility testing for four antituberculosis drugs--isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and streptomycin--were gathered in the third round of the Global Project (1999-2002) from surveys or ongoing surveillance in 79 countries or geographical settings. These data were combined with those from the first two rounds of the project and analyses were done. Countries that participated followed a standardised set of guidelines to ensure comparability both between and within countries. FINDINGS: The median prevalence of resistance to any of the four antituberculosis drugs in new cases of tuberculosis identified in 76 countries or geographical settings was 10.2% (range 0.0-57.1). The median prevalence of multidrug resistance in new cases was 1.0% (range 0.0-14.2). Kazakhstan, Tomsk Oblast (Russia), Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan), Estonia, Israel, the Chinese provinces Liaoning and Henan, Lithuania, and Latvia reported prevalence of multidrug resistance above 6.5%. Trend analysis showed a significant increase in the prevalence of multidrug resistance in new cases in Tomsk Oblast (p<0.0001). Hong Kong (p=0.01) and the USA (p=0.0002) reported significant decreasing trends in multidrug resistance in new cases of tuberculosis. INTERPRETATION: Multidrug resistance represents a serious challenge for tuberculosis control in countries of the former Soviet Union and in some provinces of China. Gaps in coverage of the Global Project are substantial, and baseline information is urgently required from several countries with high tuberculosis burden to develop appropriate control interventions.

Antitubercular Agents↗

Macrolide resistance phenotypes and mechanisms of resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes in La Rioja, Spain.

One hundred and thirty seven consecutive clinical Streptococcus pyogenes isolates were evaluated for macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin resistance (MLS). Forty of these isolates were resistant to erythromycin (29.2%), 36 of them showed the new M resistance phenotype (erythromycin resistant and clindamycin susceptible) and four isolates had the MLS(B) resistance phenotype (erythromycin and clindamycin resistant). In all 36 isolates with the M resistance phenotype, the mef gene was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In two of the four S. pyogenes isolates with the MLS(B) phenotype, both ermB and ermTR genes were found; negative results were obtained with the other two isolates which might possess a new mechanism of high level resistance against erythromycin not previously described. In summary, a high rate of erythromycin resistance was found in S. pyogenes isolates and the active efflux pump mediated by the mef gene was the mechanism most frequently involved.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Explaining risk factors for drug-resistant tuberculosis in England and Wales: contribution of primary and secondary drug resistance.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis can be transmitted (primary) or develop during the course of treatment (secondary). We investigated risk factors for each type of resistance. We compared all patients in England and Wales with isoniazid- and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in two time-periods (1993-1994 and 1998-2000) with patients with fully sensitive tuberculosis, examining separately patients without and with previous tuberculosis (a proxy for primary and secondary drug-resistant tuberculosis). Patients with previous tuberculosis smear positivity and arrival in the United Kingdom <5 years were strongly associated with multidrug resistance and isoniazid resistance. In patients with no previous tuberculosis HIV infection, residence in London and foreign birth were risk factors for multidrug resistance, and non-white ethnicity, residence in London and HIV infection for isoniazid resistance. Risk factors for each type of resistance differ. Elevated risks associated with London residence, HIV positivity, and ethnicity were mainly seen in those without previous tuberculosis (presumed transmission).

Adolescent↗