[Study of the sensitivity of non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolated on the solid and liquid media to antituberculous agents].

The centralized bacteriological laboratory of the Moscow Scientific-and-Practical Center for Tuberculosis Control Department of Public Health of the city of Moscow, examined the susceptibility of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolated and studied on the solid (Levenstein-Jensen) and liquid (Middlebrook 7H9 in the BACTEC-960 automatic system) media. A total of 159 cultures obtained from the solid medium and 132 from the liquid one were studied; of them there were 4 and 5 M. chelonae cultures, respectively, M. flavescense (n=6 and 4), M. fortuitum (n=34 and 28), MAC (n=52 and 44), M. xenopi (17 and 14), M. kansasii (n=41 and 35). Among the slowly-growing NTM, MAC was found to be resistant to streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol in most cases. M. kansasii was sensitive to all basic antituberculous agents (ATAs) in most cases. M. xenopi was resistant to rifampicin in two thirds and to streptomycin, isoniazid, and ethambutol in a half of cases. Among the rapidly growing NTM, M. fortuitum was resistant to the study basic ATAs in most cases. No significant differences were found in the susceptibility/resistance of NTM to the basic ATAs depending on whether they had been isolated and their susceptibility evaluated on the solid and liquid media. Moreover, the duration of the entire study using the liquid medium was 2-3 times shorter.