Title: Comparative In Vitro Susceptibility of a Tetracycline-Resistant Chlamydia trachomatis Strain Isolated in Toulouse (France)
Abstract: Background and Objectives: We recently reported the first isolation of a tetracycline-resistantChlamydia trachomatisstrain in Toulouse from a woman treated with tetracycline. To characterize this isolate, its in vitro susceptibility was compared with those of 34 otherC. trachomatisisolates recovered in Toulouse. Study Design: The susceptibilities ofC. trachomatisstrains were determined in terms of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) using McCoy cells in 96-well microdilution plates, with an inoculum of 5.103 to 1.104 inclusion-forming units/ml. The antimicrobial agents tested were tetracycline, azithromycin, erythromycin, ofloxacin, and pristinamycin. Results: No difference was observed between the MICs and MBCs except for the tetracycline. Tetracycline-resistant strain MIC and MBC were >64 μg/ml, although <1% of the bacterial population showed resistance. For the other isolates, the MIC of tetracycline was ≤0.25 μg/ml. The antibiotics other than tetracycline were active in vitro against all strains. Conclusions: These results show that the tetracycline resistance observed in Toulouse differs from the "heterotypic resistance" described previously in the United States in multiresistantC. trachomatisisolates. They confirm that the resistance we observed may be a new phenomenon.