Genetic Diversity and Primary Drug Resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing Genotype Strains in Northwestern Russia

Abstract

The Beijing genotype is the main family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Russia. We analyzed its diversity and drug resistance in provinces across Northwestern Russia to identify the epidemiologically relevant Beijing strains. The study collection included 497 isolates from newly-diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) patients. Bacterial isolates were subjected to drug-susceptibility testing and genotyping. The Beijing genotype was detected in 57.5% (286/497); 50% of the Beijing strains were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Central Asian/Russian and B0/W148 groups included 176 and 77 isolates, respectively. MDR was more frequent among B0/W148 strains compared to Central Asian/Russian strains (85.7% vs. 40.3%, p < 0.0001). Typing of 24 minisatellite loci of Beijing strains revealed 82 profiles; 230 isolates were in 23 clusters. The largest Central Asian/Russian types were 94-32 (n = 75), 1065-32 (n = 17), and 95-32 (n = 12). B0/W148 types were 100-32 (n = 59) and 4737-32 (n = 5). MDR was more frequent in types 1065-32 (88.2%), 100-32 (83.1%), and 4737-32 (100%). In contrast, type 9391-32 (n = 9) included only drug-susceptible strains. To conclude, M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype is dominant in Northwestern Russia, and an active transmission of overwhelmingly MDR B0/W148 types explains the reported increase of MDR-TB. The presence of MDR-associated minor variants (type 1071-32/ancient Beijing and Central Asia Outbreak strain) in some of the studied provinces also requires attention.

Phylogenetic relationships of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Poland: The emergence of Beijing genotype among multidrug-resistant cases

“…Type 94-15 differs at one MIRU-VNTR locus when compared to type 94-32, one of the major Beijing types, circulating in Russia (Shitikov et al, 2017). Interestingly, type 94-15 was not found in the largest global Beijing dataset nor in the recent large study in six provinces of Northwestern Russia (Vyazovaya et al, 2023). Thus, the 94-15 type might be a newly formed local clone.…”

Prevalence of Beijing Central Asian/Russian Cluster 94-32 among Multidrug-Resistant M. tuberculosis in Kazakhstan

“…Among Central Asian countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), the Beijing cluster 94-32 had an identical drug resistance profile as other Beijing isolates, while the Beijing cluster 100-32, in 99.3% (66/70) of cases, was MDR, pre-XDR or XDR [31]. The Beijing clusters 94-33 and 99-32 were found in FSU countries [32,33].…”