Strong Increase in Moxifloxacin Resistance Rate among Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in China, 2007 to 2013

We designed this study to determine the trend of moxifloxacin resistance among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients from 2007 to 2013 in China to inform the composition of multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) treatment regimens. We assessed moxifloxacin resistance among MDR-TB isolates collected in national drug resistance surveys in 2007 and 2013 that included 3,634 smear-positive and 7,206 culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients, respectively. Moxifloxacin susceptibility was examined by a Mycobacterium growth indicator tube (MGIT) 960 for the 2007 isolates, and by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method for the 2013 isolates, at both breakpoints 0.5 and 2.0 mg/mL. Risk factors were explored through multivariable log-binominal regression analysis. Mutations in gyrA and gyrB for part of the isolates were also studied through sequencing. Of 401 MDR strains isolated in 2007, moxifiloxacin resistance could be determined for 319 (79.6%): 41 (12.9%) and 10 (3.1%) were resistant at 0.5 and 2.0 mg/mL, respectively. Of 365 MDR strains isolated in 2013, 338 (92.6%) could be analyzed: 140 (41.4%) and 79 (23.4%) were resistant at 0.5 and 2.0 mg/ mL. For patients in 2007, no characteristics were significantly associated with moxifloxacin resistance. For patients in 2013, patients aged $60 years (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10 to 1.93) were more likely to have resistance at 0.5 mg/mL, whereas those residing in eastern China compared to those in central China had an increased risk of resistance at both 0.5 (aPR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.38 to 2.48) and 2.0 mg/mL (aPR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.35 to 3.40). Sequencing results were obtained for 245 and 266 MDR-TB isolates in 2007 and 2013, respectively. In total, 34 of 38 (89.5%) and 89 of 104 (85.6%) of 2007 and 2013 moxifloxacin-resistant (0.5 mg/mL) MDR-TB strains had mutations in the gyrA and gyrB gene, respectively. Asp94Gly was the most common mutation among 2007 (11 of 38, 28.9%) and 2013 isolates (24 of 104, 23.1%) and conferred high-level moxifloxacin resistance. Moxifloxacin resistance among MDR-TB patients in China increased from modest to high from 2007 to 2013. Moxifloxacin should be used carefully as a potentially effective drug for composing MDR/RR-TB regimens especially for elderly patients in China. Individual susceptibility testing especially rapid molecular-based assays should be conducted to confirm the susceptibility to moxifloxacin. IMPORTANCE China is one of the high-burden countries for multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB). Moxifloxacin is one of the critical antituberculosis drugs for MDR/RR-TB treatment. Susceptibility to moxifloxacin is therefore very important to compose effective regimens and to provide protection against development of resistance of companion drugs such as bedaquiline and linezolid. There are, however, no nationally representative data on moxifloxacin resistance among MDR/RR-TB cases in China. Therefore, we assessed the resistance prevalence for moxifloxacin among MDRTB strains isolated in national drug resistance surveys in 2007 and 2013 that covered 72 sites around the country. We demonstrate that the prevalence of moxifloxacin resistance in MDR-TB isolates increased from modest to high, which should prompt the national tuberculosis program to use moxifloxacin cautiously in second-line regimens to treat MDR/RR-TB unless susceptibility can be laboratory-confirmed.

Automated summary

The study revealed an increase in moxifloxacin resistance among MDR-TB patients in China from 2007 to 2013, suggesting cautious use of the drug in MDR/RR-TB regimens. Laboratory confirmation of susceptibility to moxifloxacin is crucial, given the rise in resistance levels.