BackgroundThe goal of this study was to compare the consistency of three assays for the determination of the drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains with various resistance profiles isolated from the Moscow region.MethodsA total of 144 MTB clinical isolates with a strong bias toward drug resistance were examined using Bactec MGIT 960, Sensititre MycoTB, and a microarray-based molecular assay TB-TEST to detect substitutions in the rpoB, katG, inhA, ahpC, gyrA, gyrB, rrs, eis, and embB genes that are associated with resistance to rifampin, isoniazid, fluoroquinolones, second-line injectable drugs and ethambutol.ResultsThe average correlation for the identification of resistant and susceptible isolates using the three methods was approximately 94%. An association of mutations detected with variable resistance levels was shown. We propose a change in the breakpoint minimal inhibitory concentration for kanamycin to less than 5 μg/ml in the Sensititre MycoTB system. A pairwise comparison of the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of two different drugs revealed an increased correlation in the first-line drug group and a partial correlation in the second-line drug group, reflecting the history of the preferential simultaneous use of drugs from these groups. An increased correlation with the MICs was also observed for drugs sharing common resistance mechanisms.ConclusionsThe quantitative measures of phenotypic drug resistance produced by the Sensititre MycoTB and the timely detection of mutations using the TB-TEST assay provide guidance for clinicians for the choice of the appropriate drug regimen.

Introduction. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are widespread in the environment and can cause various diseases in humans, especially immunocompromised patients. Hypothesis. Treatment of diseases caused by NTM is a complicated issue, mainly due to the resistance of the pathogen to most antimicrobial agents. Bedaquiline (Bdq) is now widely used for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB). Aim. The main goal of our study was to evaluate the activity of Bdq against Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), the most common species among NTM. Methodology. A total of 166 MAC cultures (124 Mycobacterium avium and 42 Mycobacterium intracellulare ) were studied. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Bdq for M. avium and M. intracellulare were obtained by twofold serial dilutions in the Middlebrook 7H9 medium. MIC ranges were determined and the MIC50, MIC90 and ECOFF values were obtained. Results. The MICs in respect of M. avium ranged from 0.003 to 1.0 µg ml−1; those for M. intracellulare ranged from 0.003 to 0.5 µg ml−1. The Bdq MIC50 and MIC90 values were found to be 0.015 and 0.12 µg ml−1 , respectively, for M. avium and 0.007 and 0.06 µg ml−1, respectively, for M. intracellulare . The tentative ECOFF values for M. avium and M. intracellulare were 0.12 and 0.06 µg ml−1, respectively. Conclusion. The main bedaquiline susceptibility parameters for MAC strains isolated in the Moscow region were determined.

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The article investigates the theoretical and methodological principles of tourist local lore. Studying the tourism potential of countries and presenting research results for the needs of the tourism industry is important today, as the tourism industry is developing rapidly, more and more countries specialize in providing tourism services, expanding their range. Tourism is important for the socio-economic development of countries and regions, affects their role in the world community as an area of international specialization. The functions are defined and the principles of tourist local lore are revealed. The main functions of regional studies are informational, educational, constructive, developmental, educational. The principles of regional studies are chorological, regionalism, complexity, genetic, global, ecological, humanistic. The importance of information technologies for tourism, in particular geographical information systems, is considered. The connections of tourist local lore with other sciences are given. It is analyzed that promising tasks of tourism geography are the study of lifestyles of different countries, expanding the boundaries of tourism, assessing the development of tourism in different countries, studying international experience in the use and reproduction of tourism resources, coverage of tourism policy. The peculiarities of regional studies for the needs of tourism are determined. The study of certain components of the natural environment, architectural monuments, cultural heritage, recreational opportunities, the formation of a positive "tourist image" of individual territories and countries contribute to the development of tourism business, attract domestic and foreign investment, solve economic and environmental problems. The scheme of tourist and local lore research is offered, the main sections of which are: general information about the country, geographical location, natural conditions and resources, population, history of settlement and development of the country, economy, territorial differences, tourist formalities. It is indicated that the results of research of tourist local lore are used by organizers of tourist activity and consumers of tourist product.