Open AccessIsolation of zidovudine resistant Escherichia coli from AIDS patients
Author(s) -
Lewin C.S.,
Watt B.,
Paton R.,
Amyes S.G.B.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1990.tb13967.x
Subject(s) - zidovudine , escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , antibiotics , biology , drug resistance , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , viral disease , biochemistry , gene
1. Summary Zidovudine‐resistant Escherichia coli were isolated from faecal samples from 6 out of 11 AIDS patients receiving zidovudine. Resistance appeared to be due to the loss of thymidine kinase activity which is required for the phosphorylation of zidovudine to its active form. No zidovudine resistant enterobacteria were isolated from 30 control faecal samples. Hence, clinically, there appeared to be a high correlation between the development of zidovudine‐resistance in E. coli and exposure to zidovudine ( x 2 : 11.77, P < 0.001). However the development of zidovudine resistance does not appear to be associated with cross‐resistance to other antimicrobial agents as the zidovudine‐resistant E. coli did not display a high degree of resistance to other antibacterials.