Abstract: Objective To analyze current situation and trend of drug-resistant tuberculosis in primary urban districts of Guangzhou during the recent ten years and provide the evidences for TB control policy makers in Guangzhou. MethodsTesting records of tuberculosis drug susceptibility test from laboratory department of TB and Pulmonary Tumor Control Institute were analyzed retrospectively during the period 1994-2003. Analyzed anti-TB drugs included isoniazid (H), rifampin ?, streptomycin (S) and ethambutol (E). ResultsThe total, initial and acquired drug resistance rate of 9044 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from clinical isolation were 23.7%, 20.7% and 34.6% respectively. The total and initial drug resistance rate presented slowly descended trend, and the acquired drug resistance rate was on the contrary during the ten years. The order of drug resistance of 2145 drug resistance strains according to from high level to low level was H (20.3%), R (10.2%), S (9.5%) and E (5.0%).The order of initial drug resistance rate was H (17.7%), R (8.3%), S (8.1%) and E (4.1%), and that of acquired resistance rate was H (29.8%), R (16.7%), S (14.3%) and E (8.3%). The drug resistant rates of single drug, 2 drugs and multi-drugs were 10.8%, 3.4% and 9.0% respectively. Their initial drug resistance rates were 9.8%, 3.0% and 7.6%, and their acquired resistance rates were 14.4%, 4.6% and 14.0%. Their acquired resistance rates of H, R, S and multi-drugs showed generally rising trend while the initial drug resistance rate was a decreasing trend during the ten years. ConclusionsAccording to the above results, we should pay great attention to high level of drug resistance rate of H, R and the initial drug resistance rate, generally rising trend of the acquired resistance rates and acquired multi-drugs resistance rates and a decreasing trend of the initial drug resistance rate that predicts producing more Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains of multi-drugs resistance in a specific number of strains in future. We must take initiative in TB control to prevent the prevalence and spread of drug resistance tuberculosis, especially of multi-drugs resistance tuberculosis.

Key words: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Drug resistance, Epidemiology