Molecular characterization of mutations associated with resistance to second-line tuberculosis drug among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients from high prevalence tuberculosis city in Morocco

Background: The emergence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has raised public health concern for global TB control. Although multi drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) prevalence and associated genetic mutations in Morocco are well documented, scarce information on XDR TB is available. Hence, the evaluation of pre-XDR and XDR prevalence, as well as the mutation status of gyrA, gyrB, rrs, tlyA genes and eis promoter region, associated with resistance to second line drugs, is of great value for better management of M/XDR TB in Morocco. Methods: Drug susceptibility testing (DST) was performed by the proportional method for first line drugs, and then the selected MDR isolates were tested for second line drugs (Ofloxacin, Kanamycin, Amikacin and Capreomycin). Along with DST, all samples were subjected to rpoB, katG and p-inhA mutation analysis by PCR and DNA sequencing. MDR isolates as well as 30 pan-susceptible strains were subjected to PCR and DNA sequencing of gyrA, gyrB, rrs, tlyA genes and eis promoter, associated with resistance to fluoroquinolones and injectable drugs. Results: Among the 703 analysed strains, 12.8% were MDR; Ser531Leu and Ser315Thr being the most common recorded mutations within rpoB and katG genes associated with RIF and INH resistance respectively. Drug susceptibility testing for second line drugs showed that among the 90 MDR strains, 22.2% (20/90) were resistant to OFX, 2.22% (2/90) to KAN, 3. 33% (3/90) to AMK and 1.11% (1/90) to CAP. Genotypic analysis revealed that 19 MDR strains harbored mutations in the gyrA gene; the most recorded mutation being Asp91Ala accounting for 47.6% (10/21), and 2 isolates harbored mutations in the promoter region of eis gene. No mutation was found in gyrB, rrs and tlyA genes. Moreover, none of the pan-susceptible isolates displayed mutations in targeted genes. Conclusion: Most of mutations associated with SLD resistance occurred in gyrA gene (codons 90-94) and eis promoter region. These findings highlight the impact of mutations in gyrA on the development of fluroquinolones resistance and provide the first estimates of the proportion of pre-XDR-TB among MDR-TB cases in Morocco.