In Vitro efficacy of ethionamide and clarithromycin in mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates

To determine the sensitivity of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates against ethionamide, and clarithromycin. Cross-sectional study. Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology [AFIP] Rawalpindi from June 2003 to June 2004. All routine clinical samples received for acid fast bacilli [AFB] culture and yielding positive growth on Lowenstien Jensen medium and Bactec 460 were included in the study. The isolates were from sputum [n=70], bronchioalveolar lavage [n=10], fine needle aspiration [n=6], lymph nodes [n=7], pleural fluid [n=4], endometrium [n=3]. After the identification of M. tuberculosis [MTB] sensitivity was performed against first-line antituberculosis drugs. Then susceptibility of M. tuberculosis isolates against ethionamide and clarithromycin was performed on LJ medium. Mycobacterium H37Rv was used as control strain. Results were interpreted using resistance ratio method. Out of 100 M. tuberculosis isolates, sensitivity to ethionamide was 93% and 9% to clarithromycin. Clarithromycin when used alone is ineffective as antituberculosis drug but its efficacy in combination needs to be tested. However ethionamide may be used as an alternative antituberculosis drug

Efficacy of amikacin and ciprofloxacin against clinical isolates of mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis was a leading cause of death at the turn of the 20[th] century and continues to be one of the medical scourges of mankind. Before the availability of antimicrobial drugs the cornerstone of treatment was rest in the open air in sanatoria. The major breakthrough in treatment of tuberculosis came with the discovery of Streptomycin. Later, INH, Ethambutol, Pyrazinamide, Rifampicin were added to the arsenal. Objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis against two second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs, Amikacin and Ciprofloxacin. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology [AFIP] Rawalpindi. All routine clinical samples received for acid fast bacilli [AFB] in the Department of Microbiology, AFIP, Rawalpindi were processed by modified Petroff's technique and inoculated on Lowenstein Jensen [LJ] medium and Bactec 460 Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture system. After identification of M. tuberculosis sensitivity was performed against first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. Then susceptibility of M. tuberculosis isolates against Amikacin and Ciprofloxacin was performed on LJ medium. H37Rv was used as control strain. Results were interpreted using resistance ratio method. Out of 100 M. tuberculosis isolates, 98% were sensitive to Amikacin and 97% to Ciprofloxacin. Amikacin and Ciprofloxacin are very effective 2[nd] line anti-tuberculosis drugs against tuberculosis isolates in our set-up