Differences in rate and variability of intracellular growth of a panel of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates within a human monocyte model

Significant differences were observed in the capacities of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates to grow within human monocytes. Genotyping indicated that the four most rapidly growing isolates were members of the Beijing strain family. M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv provided more reproducible infection than the clinical isolates or M. tuberculosis Erdman.