The study was done to know the prevalent mutations of gyrA and gyrB genes, and their significance with drug resistance in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A total of 100 ofloxacin- (OFX) resistant and 100 OFX-sensitive isolates of M. tuberculosis were consecutively selected from routine Tuberculosis laboratory. Drug resistance pattern of these isolates was recorded. MIC of OFX was tested in all these isolates by absolute concentration method. Quinolone resistance determining region (QRDR) of gyrA and gyrB genes of 320 and 428 bp, respectively, were amplified and sequenced. Sequencing data were analyzed by BLAST on NCBI with reference strain H37Rv. Of 100 OFX-sensitive isolates, 30 were pansusceptible, 28 were monoresistant, 10 were polyresistant and 32 were multidrug resistant (MDR). Among 100 OFX-resistant isolates, 19 were OFX monoresistant, 16 were polyresistant and 65 were MDR. Mutations in gyrA and gyrB genes were observed in 79% and 5% of OFX-resistant isolates, respectively. Most prevalent mutation was found at codon 94 in QRDR of gyrA gene. Double mutations found in gyrA gene and in both gyrA and gyrB genes signifies higher levels of OFX resistance. In one isolate, a substitution at codon 592 (Pro592Ser) was found as a novel mutation outside the QRDR of gyrB gene. Our findings support previous studies that the OFX resistance to M. tuberculosis is associated with mutations in the QRDR of gyrA gene; however, the level of OFX resistance may not be predicted based on the mutation patterns in the gyrA gene.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) and liquiritigenin (LTG) are structurally related flavonoids found in a variety of plants. Discovery of novel antimicrobial combinations for combating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections is of vital importance in the post-antibiotic era. The present study was taken to explore the in vitro and in vivo combination effect of LTG and ISL with β-lactam antibiotics (penicillin, ampicillin and oxacillin) against mec A-containing strains of MRSA. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of both LTG and ISL exhibited significant anti-MRSA activity (50-100 µg/mL) against clinical isolates of MRSA. The result of in vitro combination study showed that ISL significantly reduced MIC of β-lactam antibiotics up to 16-folds [∑ fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) 0.312-0.5], while LTG reduced up to 8-folds (∑FIC 0.372-0.5). Time kill kinetics at graded MIC combinations (ISL/LTG + β-lactam) indicated 3.27-9.79-fold and 2.59-3.48-fold reduction in the growth of clinical isolates of S. aureus respectively. In S. aureus-infected Swiss albino mice model, combination of ISL with oxacillin significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001) lowered the systemic microbial burden in blood, liver, kidney, lung and spleen tissues in comparison with ISL, oxacillin alone as well as untreated control. Considering its synergistic antibacterial effect, we suggest both ISL and LTG as promising compounds for the development of novel antistaphylococcal combinations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A total of 120 Haemophilus influenzae isolates from blood, cerebrospinal fluid, sputum and throat swabs of patients and carriers in North India was characterised by biotyping, ribotyping and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR. Of these, 77 isolates (64%) were serotype b; the other 43 (36%) were non-typable. Biotype I was the most predominant among the typable strains and biotype II among the non-typable strains. Ribotyping with restriction endonucleases HaeIII and EcoRI differentiated the isolates into three and six ribotypes, respectively. However, RAPD fingerprints generated by the application of arbitrary primers AP1 and AP2 provided a higher level of discrimination. RAPD typing revealed distinct polymorphism among the serologically typable isolates. This study is the first report that stratifies the subtypes of H. influenzae strains from India by molecular techniques.

Background & objectives:Pre-extensively drug resistant (pre-XDR) and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) have been areas of growing concern, and are posing threat to global efforts of TB control. The present study was planned to study the presence of pre-XDR and XDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis and their genotypes in clinical isolates obtained from previously treated cases of pulmonary TB.Methods:A total of 219 isolates obtained from previously treated cases of pulmonary TB were subjected to first-line (streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol) and second-line (ofloxacin, kanamycin, capreomycin and amikacin) drug susceptibility testing on solid Lowenstein-Jensen medium by proportion method. Genotyping was done for pre-XDR and XDR-TB isolates using 12 loci Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units-Variable Number Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTR).Results:Multi-drug resistance was observed in 39.7 per cent (87/219) isolates. Pre-XDR and XDR M. tuberculosis isolates amongst 87 multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB isolates were 43 (49.4%) and 10 (11.4%), respectively. Two most dominant genotypes among pre-XDR and XDR M. tuberculosis isolates were Beijing and Delhi/CAS types.Interpretation & conclusions:Resistance to second-line anti-tubercular drugs should be routinely assessed in areas endemic for TB. Similar genotype patterns were seen in pre-XDR and XDR-TB isolates. Beijing and Delhi/CAS were predominant genotypes.

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