Antituberculosis drug resistance patterns in two regions of Turkey: a retrospective analysis.

Background: The emergence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains resistant to antituberculosis agents has recently received increased attention owing largely to the dramatic outbreaks of multi drug resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

Methods: Patients residing in Zonguldak and Kayseri provinces of Turkey with, pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed between 1972 and 1999 were retrospectively identified. Drug susceptibility tests had been performed for isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), streptomycin (SM), ethambutol (EMB) and thiacetasone (TH) after isolation by using the resistance proportion method.