title: Use of potassium tellurite for rapid-drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium avium complex.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is a major cause of infection in immunocompromised patients. MAC possesses an enzyme that reduces potassium tellurite in less than 3 days and results in formation of a black precipitate. The objective of this study was to determine whether reduction of potassium tellurite by mycobacteria can be used as a means of testing the susceptibility of MAC to clarithromycin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for 104 clinical isolates of MAC were determined by the tellurite method and compared with those tested by a recommended microdilution method. Microdilution breakpoints were used for interpretation of susceptibility. MIC of less than 8 microg/mL was considered as susceptible, and MIC of greater than or equal to 8 microg/mL was resistant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was agreement within a 2-fold dilution between MICs for 89% of isolates. Of the 53 isolates that had discrepant MICs by the two methods, 70% had higher MICs by the tellurite method. When the MICs were classified into interpretive categories, there was 100% agreement by the two methods. The MIC tested by the tellurite method was available within 5 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that use of potassium tellurite is a more rapid, reliable, and inexpensive method of testing the susceptibility of MAC to clarithromycin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Miller Children's Hospital, Long Beach, CA 90801-1428, USA. bafghani@uci.edu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Afghani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fujiyama
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013691:Tellurium
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C026899:potassium tellurate(IV); D017291:Clarithromycin; D013691:Tellurium