Cross-resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates among streptomycin, kanamycin and amikacin

Abstract

Seventy-four streptomycin (SM)-resistant M. tuberculosis clinical isolates were subjected to cross-resistance drug testing against two major aminoglycosides, kanamycin (KM) and amikacin (AMK). Among them, 15 clinical isolates (20.3%) were resistant to both KM and AMK. Fifteen (80%) of 19 KM-resistant isolates were AMK-resistant. Fifteen SM, KM, and AMK resistant isolates harbored rrs mutation, but only two had rrs and rpsL double mutations. Low-level SM resistance was associated with rpsL mutation, whereas high-level SM resistance was linked to rrs mutation.