Transmission of bedaquiline-resistant tuberculosis in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

Date
2022-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Bedaquiline (BDQ) is the first novel drug to be approved for the treatment of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) in 40 years. Reduced susceptibility to BDQ commonly occurs through variants in the genes Rv0678, atpE and pepQ. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of BDQ genotypic resistance in the Western Cape, using a high throughput screening method to investigate the acquisition of variants in the three candidate genes and associated phenotypic resistance, as well as potential transmission network of BDQ-resistance. A total of 326 patient isolates with rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) at baseline were selected between January 2018 to February 2019 using the STATA software for sample processing from the longitudinal drug-resistant strain bank at the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics at Stellenbosch University (SU). Crude DNA was used for library preparation and targeted deep sequencing (TDS) of the BDQ-resistance candidate genes (Rv0678, atpE and pepQ) using a protocol designed by the translational genomics research institute (TGen). The first TDS run was performed at TGen in Flagstaff, USA on an Illumina MiSeq platform and 146 patient isolates were sequenced. The expertise was then transferred to SU and the protocol was optimised. The second TDS run was done at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) on an Illumina MiniSeq platform and 180 patient isolates were sequenced. Data obtained from collective TDS runs were analysed using the TB-specific Amplicon Sequencing Analysis Pipeline and yielded 15 isolates with variants suitable for further phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (pDST) using the BACTEC MGIT 960 system. Of the variants detected; six were Rv0678 variants, eight were pepQ variants and one was an atpE variant. Two of the isolates with Rv0678 indels at high frequencies (>97%) were BDQ-resistant, suggesting a phenotypic BDQ-resistance frequency of 0.61% (2/362). Spoligotyping revealed that 9/13 isolates belonged to lineage 2 (Beijing genotype) and three isolates belonged to lineage 4 (one T1 strain, one LAM3 strain and one LAM1-LAM4 strain). A subset of six isolates, from the first TDS run, was selected for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing using the CRyPTIC UKMYC6 plates and for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on the MiniSeq platform. The UKMYC6 plate data and the WGS data for the subset identified the drug-resistant profiles, which ranged from rifampicin mono-resistant to extensively drug-resistant TB. The two isolates presented with identical sub-lineages (2.2.2) and the phylogeny indicated the close relatedness of the patient isolates. The findings from this study suggest that it is possible to use NGS to screen hundreds of patient isolates to identify BDQ resistance-associated variants (RAVs) in the community. However, this approach is dependent on the availability of a comprehensive catalogue of BDQ RAVs with the accompanying pDST and MIC data to support the genotype-phenotype. In the future NGS surveillance methods could be used in clinical decision-making for designing effective treatment regimens containing BDQ, as well as to investigate transmission within the community. Additionally, this could help to preserve this novel antibiotic to ensure its longstanding use in successful drug-resistant TB therapy in the future.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bedaquiline (BDQ) is die eerste nuwe middel wat goedgekeur is vir die behandeling van multi-middel weerstandbiedende TB (MDR-TB) in 40 jaar. Verminderde vatbaarheid vir BDQ kom algemeen voor deur variante in die gene Rv0678, atpE en pepQ. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die voorkoms van BDQ genotipiese weerstand in die Wes-Kaap te bepaal, deur gebruik te maak van 'n hoe deurvloei siftingsmetode om die verkryging van variante in die drie kandidaatgene en gepaardgaande fenotipiese weerstand te ondersoek, asook potensiele oordragnetwerk van BDQ- weerstand. Altesaam 326 pasient-isolate met rifampisienweerstandige TB (RR-TB) by die basislyn is tussen Januarie 2018 tot Februarie 2019 geselekteer deur gebruik te maak van die STATA-sagteware vir monsterverwerking van die longitudinale geneesmiddel-weerstandige stambank by die Afdeling Molekulere Biologie en Mensgenetika by Universiteit Stellenbosch (US). Ru-DNS is gebruik vir biblioteekvoorbereiding en geteikende diepvolgordebepaling (TDS) van die BDQ-weerstandkandidaatgene (Rv0678, atpE en pepQ) met behulp van 'n protokol wat deur die translasiegenomika-navorsingsinstituut (TGen) ontwerp is. Die eerste TDS-lopie is by TGen in Flagstaff, VSA op 'n Illumina MiSeq-platform uitgevoer en 146 pasiënt-isolate is georden. Die kundigheid is toe na die US-universiteit oorgedra en die protokol is geoptimaliseer. Die tweede TDS-lopie is by die Suid-Afrikaanse Mediese Navorsingsraad (SAMRC) op 'n Illumina MiniSeq-platform gedoen en 180 pasient-isolate is in volgorde geplaas. Kollektiewe TDS-lopies volgordebepalingdata is ontleed deur gebruik te maak van die TB-spesifieke Amplicon Sequencing Analysis Pipeline en het 15 isolate gelewer met variante vir verdere fenotipiese geneesmiddel vatbaarheidstoetsing (pDST) deur gebruik te maak van die BACTEC MGIT 960 stelsel. Van die variante wat opgespoor is; ses was Rv0678 variante, ag was pepQ variante en een was 'n atpE variant. Twee van die isolate met Rv0678 indels by hoe frekwensies (>97%) was BDQ-bestand. Spoligotipering het aan die lig gebring dat 9/13 isolate aan geslag 2 (Beijing genotipe) behoort het en vier isolate aan geslag 4 behoort (een T1-stam, een LAM3-stam en een LAM1-LAM4-stam). 'n Subset van ses isolate, vanaf die eerste TDS-lopie, is geselekteer vir minimum inhiberende konsentrasie (MIC) toetsing deur gebruik te maak van die CRyPTIC UKMYC6 plate en vir heelgenoom volgordebepaling (WGS) op die MiniSeq platform. Die UKMYC6-plaatdata en die WGS-data vir die subset het die middelweerstandige profiele geidentifiseer, wat gewissel het van rifampisien mono-weerstandige tot ekstensief middelweerstandige TB. Die twee isolate wat met identiese sub-afstammelinge aangebied is (2.2.2) en die filogenie het die noue verwantskap van die pasient-isolate aangedui. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat dit moontlik is om NGS te gebruik om honderde pasient-isolate te skerm om BDQ-weerstand-geassosieerde variante (RAVs) in die gemeenskap te identifiseer. Hierdie benadering is egter afhanklik van die beskikbaarheid van 'n omvattende katalogus van BDQ RAV's met die gepaardgaande pDST en MIC data om die genotipe-fenotipe te ondersteun. In die toekoms kan NGS-toesigmetodes gebruik word in kliniese besluitneming vir die ontwerp van effektiewe behandelingsregimes wat BDQ bevat, asook om oordrag binne die gemeenskap te ondersoek. Daarbenewens kan dit help om hierdie nuwe antibiotika te bewaar om die langdurige gebruik daarvan in suksesvolle middelweerstandige TB-terapie in die toekoms te verseker.
Description
Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Mycobacterium tuberculosis -- Treatment -- Western Cape (South Africa), Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis -- Treatment -- Western Cape (South Africa), Tuberculosis -- Western Cape (South Africa), UCTD
Citation