title: High levels of resistance to second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs among prisoners with pulmonary tuberculosis in Georgia.
abstract: METHODS
  Penitentiary system of Georgia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of resistance to second-line drugs among prisoners with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective evaluation of resistance to second-line drugs in tuberculosis (TB) patients treated from 2001 to 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall observed prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) was 14.4% (39/270). The lowest resistance was found for ofloxacin (OFX), which was 2.2% (6/270) overall and 5.1% (2/39) among MDR patients. Isolates from four non-MDR patients who had never received anti-tuberculosis treatment were found to be resistant to OFX. Resistance to kanamycin and capreomycin occurred simultaneously only among MDR patients and was observed in 17/39 cases (43.6%). High rates of resistance to > or =2 second-line drugs (18/39, 46.2%) and > or =3 second-line drugs (10/39, 25.6%) were observed among all MDR-TB patients, reaching respectively 59.3% and 29.6% among previously treated MDR-TB cases. Only one patient was found to be resistant to four second-line drugs. No extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) according to the latest definition was detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings reveal a serious threat to the TB control efforts in the study population.
authors.affiliation: Mycobacteriology Unit, Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jugheli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rigouts
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Shamputa
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bram de Rijk
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Portaels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005846:Georgia (Republic) / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents