A 47-year-old Japanese male was referred to our hospital

A 47-year-old Japanese male was referred to our hospital

with painless submucosal nodule in the right sublingual region beside Wharton’s duct orifice. The excised specimen was histologically diagnosed as intraductal papilloma of minor salivary gland, according to the microscopic finding of the papillary growth of ductal epithelium into the ductal space with fibrovascular core. Immunohistochemical study showed the tumor cells originated from ductal luminal cells because of positive Cytokeratin 18 and 7 staining in both types of cells. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2009;107:e34-e37)”
“P>African-Americans (AA) have higher acute rejection rates and poorer long-term graft survival rates when compared with non-AA. It is yet to be demonstrated that the type of induction therapy modifies outcomes in this ‘high-risk’ population. This retrospective analysis see more compares the efficacy learn more of induction therapy [antilymphocyte antibodies (ALA) versus interleukin-2 receptor antagonists (IL-2RA)] in the AA population. Some 189 AAs were included. There was no difference in acute rejection at one year between the groups (ALA (12%) or IL-2RA (12%), P = 0.89). Type of induction therapy had no

significant effect on death-censored (P = 0.61) or uncensored graft survival (P = 0.32). There was no difference between CMV or BK virus infections between the groups (P = 0.14 and 0.94 respectively). Type of induction therapy does not appear to affect acute rejection rates or long-term graft survival in low-risk AA kidney transplant recipients.”
“Background: There is a growing trend to treat displaced midshaft clavicular fractures with primary open reduction and plate fixation; whether such treatment results in improved patient outcomes is debatable. The aim of this multicenter, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial was to compare union rates, functional outcomes, and economic costs for displaced midshaft clavicular fractures that were treated with either primary

open reduction this website and plate fixation or nonoperative treatment.

Methods: In a prospective, multicenter, stratified, randomized controlled trial, 200 patients between sixteen and sixty years of age who had an acute displaced midshaft clavicular fracture were randomized to receive either primary open reduction and plate fixation or nonoperative treatment. Functional assessment was conducted at six weeks, three months, six months, and one year with use of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and Constant scores. Union was evaluated with use of three-dimensional computed tomography. Complications were recorded, and an economic evaluation was performed.

Results: The rate of nonunion was significantly reduced after open reduction and plate fixation (one nonunion) as compared with nonoperative treatment (sixteen nonunions) (relative risk = 0.07; p = 0.007).

Our methodology is applied to two unrelated sets of real biomedic

Our methodology is applied to two unrelated sets of real biomedical imaging data, and a set of synthetic images. Our results are shown to be superior to manual segmentation.”
“Methods. aEuro integral Characteristic parameters of the pregnant women with PPROM and their premature infants were analyzed retrospectively using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results. aEuro integral The overall rate of PPROM was 1.3%% (323/24,173), of which 19.2%% (62/323) were premature infants with sepsis. Overall, the median NICU stay of the premature infants was 11 days. Multiple factor regression analysis identified

factors influencing length of stay in premature infants: gestational age (beta beta aEuroS== aEuroS–0.172, Tariquidar order P aEuroS== aEuroS0.000), parturition modes (beta beta aEuroS== aEuroS–0.115, P aEuroS== aEuroS0.000), infant”s birth weight (beta beta aEuroS== aEuroS–0.728, P aEuroS== aEuroS0.000), infant”s discharge weight (beta beta aEuroS== aEuroS0.443, P aEuroS== aEuroS0.000), bacterial

culture of cord blood (beta beta aEuroS== aEuroS–0.100, P aEuroS== aEuroS0.011) and sepsis (beta beta aEuroS== aEuroS0.192, P aEuroS== aEuroS0.000). Additionally, latency period of sepsis diagnosis in neonatal sepsis between negative and positive cord blood culture was significantly discrepant, and 98.1%% specificity and 84.4%% positive predictive value for cord blood culture.

Conclusion. ABT-737 cost aEuro integral We have identified several predictive factors for length of stay in cases of premature infants after PPROM, of which cord blood culture can be used as an additional diagnostic test to detect newborns at risk of infections, and be valuable in clinical

application and generalization among neonate sepsis.”
“Objective: There is increasing interest in the association between the severity of asthma and fungal sensitization, and lung function decline in relation to mold and dampness in the home has recently been reported. This study was performed to determine the correlation between sensitization to Schizophyllum commune and decline of lung function, and to elucidate the outcomes and risk factors, especially from Schizophyllum allergy. Methods: The medical records Pexidartinib in vivo of 50 patients with asthma who satisfied the following inclusion criteria were collected and reviewed retrospectively: (1) at least 5 years of follow-up with five evaluations; (2) intradermal skin tests including S. commune performed at the initial assessment; and (3) severity ranging from mild-to-moderate. Lung function decline (evaluated as adjusted delta FEV1/year) was compared in a cross-sectional manner with regard to gender, age, BMI, smoking habit, allergological characteristics and exacerbation frequency. Results and Conclusions: There were significant differences in lung function decline between females and males (p<0.05), positive and negative results of late-phase skin reaction to S. commune (p<0.001), and positive and negative late-phase skin reaction to Aspergillus (p<0.05).

In contrast, Laysan albatrosses spent as much time over oceanic w

In contrast, Laysan albatrosses spent as much time over oceanic waters beyond the continental shelf and slope, thereby overlapping less with fisheries in Alaska than black-footed albatrosses. Regionally, Laysan albatrosses had the greatest potential fishery interaction with the Atka mackerel (Pleruogrammus monopterygius) trawl fishery in the Western Aleutian Islands and the sablefish pot fishery in the Central Aleutian islands. Black-footed albatrosses ranged further beyond Alaskan waters than Laysan albatrosses, overlapping west coast Canada

fisheries and pelagic longline fisheries in the subarctic transition domain; Laysan albatrosses remained north of these pelagic fisheries. Due to inter-specific differences in oceanic Momelotinib price distribution and habitat use, the overlap of fisheries with the post-breeding distribution of black-footed albatrosses is greater than that for Laysan albatrosses, highlighting inter-specific differences in potential vulnerability to bycatch and risk of population-level

impacts from fisheries. (C) 2008 OSI-906 cell line Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Two chromium ternary complexes with nitrilotriacetic acid as a primary ligand and alanine or glycine as secondary ligand were prepared in slightly acidic medium. The structure of these two complexes was characterized using elemental, thermal analysis, FTIR spectra, and the two complexes mass spectra. The spectroscopy data suggest that these

two complexes were in polymeric form and have the monomeric unit H[Cr(HNTA)(Hala)(SO4)] and H[Cr(HNTA)(Gly)(SO4)] in which sulfate group act as a bidentate ligand linked between each monomeric unit for the same complex. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym SCH772984 in vitro Sci, 2012″
“This study was aimed to investigate the effects of endurance training on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme levels in young adults. Twenty four male students participated in this study. Subjects were divided into two groups as training group (n=12) and control group (n=12). Subjects in the training groups performed running exercise 25 to 60 min/day, three days/week for eight weeks at an intensity of 50 to 70% of target heart rate. Blood samples collected at rest and after exhaustive exercise before and after 8 weeks, were analyzed for the determination of plasma lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) level, and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). LOOH level in the training group significantly decreased after the post-training period (p<0.05), but did not alter in the control group (p>0.05). LDH activities significantly increased both control and training groups after the exhaustive exercise (p<0.05). LDH activity was found significantly higher in control group than training group both at rest and after exhaustive exercise (p<0.05).

The primary outcome measure was the Positive and Negative Syndrom

The primary outcome measure was the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Other scales included the Calgary Depression Scale (CDSS) and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance was utilized to examine changes in outcome measures over time with adjunctive treatment with gabapentin.

Results: There was a significant drop in the PANSS and CDSS scores at endpoint (week 8). There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups with regard to changes in all outcome Idasanutlin chemical structure measures or in AIMS score. The adjunctive

treatments were well tolerated and side effects were transient.

Conclusion: Gabapentin could be used successfully as an adjunct to novel

antipsychotics in partially responsive schizophrenia. However, large controlled studies are needed to examine the effectiveness of gabapentin in psychotic disorders.”
“Objective

To discuss the differential diagnosis of petrous ridge lesions based on a rare case of metastatic pituitary carcinoma.

Patient

A 41-year-old man with a past medical history of pituitary adenoma and hypopituitarism presented with imbalance and vertigo. Imaging showed a mass eroding the left posterior petrous face.

Intervention

Transtemporal, transmastoid approach for complete resection of tumor.

Main Outcome Measures

Surgical pathology and imaging JNJ-26481585 order studies.

Results

Surgical pathology revealed metastatic pituitary carcinoma. The patient has been followed at our institution for 28 months postoperatively without evidence of recurrence.

Conclusion

Lesions of the petrous ridge are rare. The wide differential diagnosis includes endolympatic sac tumor, meningioma, jugulotympanic paraganglioma, myeloma, and metastasis. The clinician must take into account unique imaging features on CT and MRI, and final diagnosis often requires pathologic

analysis.”
“Isotretinoin, a drug used for moderate to severe acne, has been repeatedly associated with various psychiatric complications, although a definitive causal relationship has not been established Selleckchem Rapamycin to date. This case report describes a 25-year-old male who developed-obsessive-compulsive disorder at the age of 23 years following isotretinoin treatment for acne (10-20 mg/day) since the age of 16 years. Although standard treatment for -obsessive-compulsive disorder caused mood swings, the combination of fluvoxamine 300 mg/day and olanzapine 15 mg/day significantly improves the clinical picture. Although rare, severe adulthood psychiatric complications may occur following isotretinoin treatment, requiring management which is individually tailored to the patient.”
“Partial epilepsy comprises simple partial seizures, complex partial seizures, and secondarily generalized seizures, and covers more than 60% of patients with epilepsy.

More research is needed to better understand the risk of CKD post

More research is needed to better understand the risk of CKD post-nephrectomy, to develop and validate predictive scores for risk-stratification, and to optimize patient management.”
“Neuroblastomas are the most common, non-central nervous system tumor of childhood. Similar to pheochromocytomas, they are derived from neural crest cells and therefore retain the potential to synthesize catecholamines. Unlike pheochromocytomas, however, perioperative issues related to blood pressure instability with hypertension are uncommon. We report details of a 3-year-old

child with a neuroblastoma who developed severe hypertension and Ipatasertib PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitor end-organ effects after induction of anesthesia. The association of such problems with neuroblastoma is reviewed and options for perioperative care presented.”
“In this paper, we propose a new prostate computed tomography (CT) segmentation method for image guided radiation therapy. The main contributions of our method lie in the following aspects. 1) Instead of using voxel intensity information alone, patch-based representation in the discriminative feature space with logistic sparse LASSO is used as anatomical signature to deal with low contrast problem in prostate CT images. 2) Based on the proposed patch-based signature, a new multi-atlases Momelotinib inhibitor label fusion method formulated under sparse representation framework is designed to segment

prostate in the new treatment images, with guidance from the previous segmented AZD2171 chemical structure images of the same patient. This method estimates the prostate likelihood of each voxel in the new treatment image from its nearby candidate voxels in the previous segmented images, based on the nonlocal mean principle and sparsity constraint. 3) A hierarchical labeling strategy is further designed to perform label fusion, where voxels

with high confidence are first labeled for providing useful context information in the same image for aiding the labeling of the remaining voxels. 4) An online update mechanism is finally adopted to progressively collect more patient-specific information from newly segmented treatment images of the same patient, for adaptive and more accurate segmentation. The proposed method has been extensively evaluated on a prostate CT image database consisting of 24 patients where each patient has more than 10 treatment images, and further compared with several state-of-the-art prostate CT segmentation algorithms using various evaluation metrics. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently achieves higher segmentation accuracy than any other methods under comparison.”
“Objective: To evaluate the effect of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) on the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a large unselected population. Methods: We performed a case control study using data collected in The Consortium on Safe Labor database.

Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of

Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with RPF who were treated between April 2008 and February 2013. Success was defined as improvement of renal function and lack of complications after stent placement. Follow-up was at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and annually thereafter. Results: A total of 14 patients were

identified. The study included eight female and six male patients. Mean age was 60.2 years8.4 standard deviation (SD). The majority of patients had idiopathic RPF (n=12, 85.7%). Stent placement was performed in 23 renal units in 14 patients, 9 (64.3%) of whom had bilateral disease. Ten (71.4%) patients had previously received medical treatment, while three (21.4%) presented with recurrent disease postureterolysis. The mean length of follow-up was 22.5 months (range 3-56 Nec-1s research buy mos). Mean stricture length was 7.6cm Momelotinib inhibitor +/- 6.2 SD on the right and 7.7cm +/- 5.1 SD (P=0.925) on the left. Patients tolerated the stents well with minimal discomfort. Ureteral obstruction was managed successfully in 78.6% of patients (n=11/14). All patients had improvement of renal function. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study using metal stents in patients with RPF. Retrograde placement of the ureteral Memokath 051 metal stent can be considered

as a promising alternative for initial or salvage postureterolysis minimally invasive management of ureteral obstruction in RPF.”
“During pregnancy spontaneous rupture of the dividing membrane of monochorionic diamniotic twins is extremely rare and difficult to diagnose prenatally. We report

a case of pseudo-monoamniotic twins derived from monochorionic diamniotic twin gestation. A 37-year-old woman pregnant with monochorionic diamniotic twins initially confirmed by the first trimester ultrasonography, was suspected to have a dividing membrane not visualized on ultrasound examinations at 27 gestational weeks. The woman did not undergo any invasive procedure during pregnancy and did not have notable symptoms. We considered the possibility of spontaneous rupture of the dividing membrane and cord entanglement, and managed the rest of her gestational I BET 762 period as a monoamniotic twin gestation. Concordantly grown healthy male babies were born at 35 weeks and 1 day by elective cesarean section. The mother had complex entangled umbilical cords and a small trace of amniotic membrane in the placenta.”
“Pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor encompasses a heterogeneous spectrum of reactive, infectious, and neoplastic entities. It is composed of spindle-shaped myofibroblastic cells in a background of inflammatory cells and collagen fibres. Actinomycosis is a bacterial infection. It infects the lower respiratory tracts by inhalation or aspiration of oropharyngeal or upper gastrointestinal materials.

Tissue specimens were taken from the lower lip at the midline in

Tissue specimens were taken from the lower lip at the midline in the sagital plane. Moreover, the histologic sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and the measurements were done under light microscope. Alternatively, the divided-pedicle group study consists of 6 patients with lower vermilion

cross-lip flap, in which the pedicles were sent to the laboratory for histologic examination see more after pedicle division.

Results: The distance between the inferior labial artery and the upper most part of the vermilion border was 2.42 +/- 1.67 mm. In 77.27% of cases, the artery was found in the submucosal layer. The histologic examination of the pedicles in 6 patients showed the presence of inferior labial artery, in hematoxylin-eosin staining, in the serial cross sections of 5 pedicles.

Conclusions: Four-millimeter-deep incision of the lower lip’s vermilion will embody the inferior labial artery in lower vermilion cross-lip flap in most of the cases. Moreover, the histologic study of the pedicles revealed that the incorporation of the inferior labial artery in flap pedicle will ensure flap perfusion.”
“Background: Volunteering participants in disease studies tend to be healthier than the general population partially due to specific enrollment criteria. Using modeling to accurately predict outcomes of

cohort studies enrolling volunteers requires adjusting for the bias introduced in this way. Here we propose a new method to account for the effect of a specific form of healthy volunteer BAY 11-7082 bias resulting from imposing disease status-related eligibility criteria, on disease-specific PRN1371 mortality, by explicitly modeling the length of the time interval between the moment when the subject becomes ineligible for the study, and the outcome.

Methods: Using survival time data from 1190 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center, we model the time from clinical lung cancer diagnosis to death using an exponential distribution to approximate the length of this interval for a study where lung cancer death serves as the outcome.

Incorporating this interval into our previously developed lung cancer risk model, we adjust for the effect of disease status-related eligibility criteria in predicting the number of lung cancer deaths in the control arm of CARET. The effect of the adjustment using the MD Anderson-derived approximation is compared to that based on SEER data.

Results: Using the adjustment developed in conjunction with our existing lung cancer model, we are able to accurately predict the number of lung cancer deaths observed in the control arm of CARET.

Conclusions: The resulting adjustment was accurate in predicting the lower rates of disease observed in the early years while still maintaining reasonable prediction ability in the later years of the trial.

We used this protocol before surgery in 3 patients with suspected

We used this protocol before surgery in 3 patients with suspected EPS. Image analysis revealed patterns of abdominal movement that were markedly different from the patterns in healthy volunteers. The volunteers showed marked movement throughout the abdomen; in contrast, movement in EPS patients was restricted to just below the diaphragm.

This clear difference provides early “”proof of principle”" of the approach that we have developed.”
“Background. Neonatal TSH screening has as its main goal the early detection and treatment of permanent sporadic congenital hypothyroidism. ML323 solubility dmso At the same time neonatal TSH is one of the indicators for monitoring progress towards eliminating iodine deficiency disorders (IDD).

Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of neonatal TSH screening data as a monitoring tool for IDD evaluation AMN-107 in vitro and control in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Infants and Methods: The study included a total of 8,105 newborns. Neonatal TSH was measured in whole blood drawn between day 3 and day 5 of life, spotted on filter paper using a sensitive fluorometric

assay (Delfia).

Results: Levels above 5 mIU/l were found in 282 (5.5%) neonates. Median TSH values and the percentage of samples of neonatal TSH above 5 mIU/l were significantly higher in neonates who were born by Caesarean section (6.4%) compared with neonates born by vaginal delivery (1.4%).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that neonatal TSH should not be used as a monitoring tool for IDD evaluation and control if iodinated skin disinfectant is used on a large part of the mother’s skin in maternity hospitals.”
“Recent advances in assisted reproduction treatment have enabled some couples with severe infertility issues to conceive, but the methods are not successful in all cases. Notwithstanding the significant financial burden of assisted

reproduction treatment, the emotional scars from an inability to conceive a child enacts a greater toll on affected couples. While methods have circumvented some root causes for male and female infertility, often the underlying causes cannot be treated, thus true cures for restoring a patient’s fertility are limited. Furthermore, the procedures Selleckchem RXDX-101 are only available if the affected patients are able to produce gametes. Patients rendered sterile by medical interventions, exposure to toxicants or genetic causes are unable to utilize assisted reproduction to conceive a child – and often resort to donors, where permitted. Stem cells represent a future potential avenue for allowing these sterile patients to produce offspring. Advances in stem cell biology indicate that stem cell replacement therapies or in-vitro differentiation may be on the horizon to treat and could cure male and female infertility, although significant challenges need to be met before this technology can reach clinical practice.

One hundred and eleven patients suffering from presbyopia from bo

One hundred and eleven patients suffering from presbyopia from both groups (Males: 63, mean Thiazovivin age: 34 +/- 14 and females: 48, mean age: 33 +/- 13 year, range: 20-60) were enrolled in the trial and divided in to two groups according to treatment regimens. Ocucure (Test drug) 500mg two tablets and leutivit (Placebo) 250mg tablets twice daily were prescribed for 6-8 weeks. Presbyopia was improved in 17 patients (28.81%) out of 59 patients by the use of ocucure (Test drug), and in 6 patients

(11.53%) out of 52 by the use of leutivit (Control drug). Furthermore, there was a significant improvement in presbyopic associated clinical features as compared to leutivit. It is concluded that ocucure possesses a therapeutic value for the improvement of presbyopia and its associated symptoms as compared to leutivit.”
“Background and objective: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is generally considered to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. There is much controversy regarding the optimal choice of antibiotics see more for patients with CAP. The aim of this study was to identify the antibiotics prescribed for adults hospitalized with CAP in Korea during a calendar year.

Methods: This population-based,

descriptive epidemiological study was performed using data from nationwide health insurance claims from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004. The study population was adults (>= 18 years old), who had been hospitalized with CAP as determined by discharge diagnosis, and who had been treated with antibiotics for >= 3 days. The exclusion criteria were tuberculosis, underlying malignancies and potential nosocomial pneumonia, based on the department providing care, or surgery reports during the admission.

Results: Of the 5592 adults Selleck Gilteritinib hospitalized with CAP, data for 3662 (65.5%) patients was eligible for

inclusion in the analysis. This included data for 1899 (51.9%) males, and 2045 (55.8%) patients >= 65 years of age. The most frequently prescribed antimicrobial regimen was beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors and fluoroquinolones in combination (31.0%), followed by beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors plus macrolides (30.2%), monotherapy (17.0%), beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors plus aminoglycosides (12.9%), beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors plus clindamycin (4.9%), and cephalosporins plus fluoroquinolones (2.5%). Monotherapy included, in decreasing order of use, cephalosporins (6.0%), fluoroquinolones (3.5%), beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors (2.3%) and macrolides (2.2%).

Conclusions: In this study, patterns of antimicrobial prescription for patients hospitalized with CAP were assessed for the first time in Korea. There was divergence from the 2009 Korean guidelines for the treatment of CAP, reinforcing the need for assessment of physicians’ adherence to the guidelines.

1% for inhAP (-15), and 97 8% for rpoB The global concordance be

1% for inhAP (-15), and 97.8% for rpoB. The global concordance between both

methods was 98%.

CONCLUSIONS: The MAS-PCR system allowed the simultaneous and rapid detection of approximately 80.0% of the drug-resistant clinical isolates. This method could be used as a rapid and simple screening tool to detect drug-resistant TB in clinical practice.”
“Animal models have shown that early ontogeny seems to be a period of enhanced affinity to ethanol. Interestingly, the catalase system that transforms ethanol (EtOH) into Pitavastatin solubility dmso acetaldehyde (ACD) in the brain, is more active in the perinatal rat compared to adults. ACD has been found to share EtOH’s behavioral effects. The general purpose of the present study was to assess ACD motivational and motor effects in newborn rats as a function of prenatal exposure to EtOH. Experiment 1 evaluated if ACD (0.35 mu mol) or EtOH (0.02 mu mol) supported appetitive conditioning in newborn pups prenatally exposed to EtOH. Experiment 2 tested if prenatal alcohol exposure modulated neonatal susceptibility to ACD’s motor effects (ACD dose: 0, 0.35 and 0.52 mu mol). Experiment 1 showed that EtOH and ACD supported

appetitive conditioning independently of prenatal treatments. In Experiment 2, latency to display motor activity was altered only in neonates prenatally treated with water and challenged with the highest ACD dose. Prenatal EtOH experience results in tolerance to ACD’s motor activity effects. These results show early susceptibility Idasanutlin purchase to ACD’s appetitive effects and attenuation of www.selleckchem.com/products/semaxanib-su5416.html motor effects

as a function of prenatal history with EtOH, within a stage in development where brain ACD production seems higher than later in life.”
“OBJECTIVES: To determine wild-type minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) distributions for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as the background data for defining susceptibility breakpoints are limited.

METHODS: We determined wild-type MIC distributions of M. tuberculosis using a 96-stick replicator in Middlebrook 7H10 (7H10) medium for ethionamide (ETH), prothionamide, thiacetazone, cycloserine, rifabutin (RFB), clofazimine and linezolid in consecutive susceptible clinical isolates (n = 78).

RESULTS: Tentative epidemiological wild-type cut-offs (ECOFF) were determined for all investigated drugs where World Health Organization recommended critical concentrations for 7H10 are lacking, except for ETH. As the ECOFF was closely related to the non-wild-type strains for ETH and thiacetazone, the use of an intermediary (1) category in drug susceptibility testing could increase reproducibility. The cross-resistance between ETH and isoniazid was 21%. Applying 0.5 mg/l as a breakpoint for RFB classified two non-wild type and rpoB mutated isolates as susceptible for RFB and resistant against rifampicin.

CONCLUSIONS: We propose that wild-type MIC distributions should be used as a tool to define clinical breakpoints against second-line drugs.