Contribution of dfrA and inhA Mutations to the Detection of Isoniazid-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates

Screening of 127 isoniazid (INH)-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Singapore for mutations within the dfrA and inhA genes revealed mutations in 0 and 5 (3.9%) isolates respectively, implying that mutations in dfrA do not contribute to the detection of INH-resistant M. tuberculosis and that mutations within inhA are rare. Thirty-seven (29%) of the 127 isolates had no mutations in any of the genes implicated in INH resistance (katG, kasA, and ndh; inhA and ahpC promoters), suggesting that there are new INH targets yet to be discovered.