Resumo

ARRAIZ, N; BERMUDEZ, V  e  URDANETA, B. Resistencia a drogas en M. Tuberculosis: Bases moleculares. AVFT [online]. 2005, vol.24, n.1, pp.23-31. ISSN 0798-0264.

The tuberculosis is one of the infectious diseases responsible for high rates of morbi-mortality at world-wide level. The therapy of short duration (DOTS) recommended by the Organization of the Health (WHO) includes drugs isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, streptomycin and ethambutol. Unfortunately, strategy DOTS stops being the therapeutic option for patients infected with multidrug-resistant M.tuberculosis (MDR-TB) defined as TB resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin. The resistance to drugs in M. tuberculosis predominantly derives from alterations in genes that encodes antibiotic targets and until the present multiple chromosomal mutations associated to the development of resistance to first line drugs have been identified. The characterization of these mutations has lead to the development of new strategies for molecular diagnosis that could shorten the period of report of the drugs resistance pattern in M. tuberculosis. The early detection of resistant to first line drugs, provides useful insights for better therapeutic management of patient with second line drugs and decreasing the risk of propagation of TB-MDR strains.

Palavras-chave : DOTS; M. tuberculosis; MDR-TB; Rifampicin; Resistance; Antibiotics.