Skip to main content
PMC home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1994 Mar 29;91(7):2428–2429. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.7.2428

Evolution of drug-resistant tuberculosis: a tale of two species.

M D Iseman 1
PMCID: PMC43383  PMID: 8146134

Abstract

The history of the disease tuberculosis is briefly discussed. Now human societal failures have potentiated the evolution of drug-resistant strains of the tubercle bacillus in the United States and around the world. Until recently, this evolutionary change largely posed a threat to the health and survival of the individual in whom inadequate therapy promoted the drug resistance. However, the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic threatens to promote wholesale transmission of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis with the potential for immense morbidity and mortality. Reinforced treatment and control programs for tuberculosis are vital.

Full text

PDF
2428

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Costello H. D., Caras G. J., Snider D. E., Jr Drug resistance among previously treated tuberculosis patients, a brief report. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1980 Feb;121(2):313–316. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1980.121.2.313. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. David H. L., Newman C. M. Some observations on the genetics of isoniazid resistance in the tubercle bacilli. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1971 Oct;104(4):508–515. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1971.104.4.508. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Doster B., Caras G. J., Snider D. E. A continuing survey of primary drug resistance in tuberculosis, 1961 to 1968. A U.S. Public Health Service cooperative study. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1976 Apr;113(4):419–425. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1976.113.4.419. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Edlin B. R., Tokars J. I., Grieco M. H., Crawford J. T., Williams J., Sordillo E. M., Ong K. R., Kilburn J. O., Dooley S. W., Castro K. G. An outbreak of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among hospitalized patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. N Engl J Med. 1992 Jun 4;326(23):1514–1521. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199206043262302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Frieden T. R., Sterling T., Pablos-Mendez A., Kilburn J. O., Cauthen G. M., Dooley S. W. The emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis in New York City. N Engl J Med. 1993 Feb 25;328(8):521–526. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199302253280801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Goble M., Iseman M. D., Madsen L. A., Waite D., Ackerson L., Horsburgh C. R., Jr Treatment of 171 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis resistant to isoniazid and rifampin. N Engl J Med. 1993 Feb 25;328(8):527–532. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199302253280802. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HOBBY G. L. Primary drug resistance in tuberculosis. A review. I. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1962 Dec;86:839–846. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1962.86.6.839. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Iseman M. D., Cohn D. L., Sbarbaro J. A. Directly observed treatment of tuberculosis. We can't afford not to try it. N Engl J Med. 1993 Feb 25;328(8):576–578. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199302253280811. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Iseman M. D., Sbarbaro J. A. The increasing prevalence of resistance to antituberculosis chemotherapeutic agents: implications for global tuberculosis control. Curr Clin Top Infect Dis. 1992;12:188–207. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kopanoff D. E., Kilburn J. O., Glassroth J. L., Snider D. E., Jr, Farer L. S., Good R. C. A continuing survey of tuberculosis primary drug resistance in the United States: March 1975 to November 1977. A United States Public Health Service cooperative study. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1978 Nov;118(5):835–842. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1978.118.5.835. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MIDDLEBROOK G., COHN M. L. Some observations on the pathogenicity of isoniazid-resistant variants of tubercle bacilli. Science. 1953 Sep 11;118(3063):297–299. doi: 10.1126/science.118.3063.297. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mahmoudi A., Iseman M. D. Pitfalls in the care of patients with tuberculosis. Common errors and their association with the acquisition of drug resistance. JAMA. 1993 Jul 7;270(1):65–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Reichman L. B. Compliance in developed nations. Tubercle. 1987 Jun;68(2 Suppl):25–29. doi: 10.1016/0041-3879(87)90017-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Wayne L. G. Microbiology of tubercle bacilli. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Mar;125(3 Pt 2):31–41. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.125.3P2.31. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES