Genotypic distribution of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in northern Thailand.

Background: Multidrug/extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) is a major public health problem, and early detection is important for preventing its spread. This study aimed to demonstrate the distribution of genetic site mutation associated with drug resistance in M/XDR-TB in the northern Thai population.

Methods: Thirty-four clinical MTB isolates from M/XDR-TB patients in the upper northern region of Thailand, who had been identified for drug susceptibility using the indirect agar proportion method from 2005 to 2012, were examined for genetic site mutations of , , and for isoniazid (INH) drug resistance and for rifampicin (RIF) drug resistance.

Rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis by identification of Antigen 85 in mycobacterial culture system.

The standard culture for identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis takes a long time to perform. We introduce here a method for fast identification of M. tuberculosis in mycobacterial culture system.

Intracellular growth and drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in macrophages.

Intracellular growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human and rabbit monocytes and in mouse and guinea pig macrophages was evaluated. Monocytes or macrophages were infected with M. tuberculosis H37Rv with the multiplicity of infection at 10 mycobacteria per monocyte.