[Molecular markers of M. tuberculosis virulence in lung tissue (experimental study)]. / Molekulyarnye markery virulentnosti M. tuberculosis v tkani legkikh (eksperimental'noe issledovanie).

More than a quarter of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, only about 10% of those infected develop active TB. This indicates a key role for innate immunity in limiting M. tuberculosis replication. Most often, bacteria can regulate the expression of host-specific molecules and weaken host immunity. OBJECTIVE: To use a biological model, in order to determine significant molecular immunohistochemical markers characterizing the virulence of the "Buryat" and "Omsk" subtypes of the M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype in lung tissue. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Lung samples of the C57BL/6 male mice were obtained during experimental infection with M. tuberculosis strains: the reference laboratory strain H37Rv, multidrug-resistant clinical strains 396 (highly lethal and hypervirulent «Buryat¼ genotype Beijing 14717-15) and 6691 (low-lethal and low-virulent "Omsk" genotype Beijing 1071-32) on days 14, 21, 60 and 120. They were studied by histological and immunohistochemical methods. The relative areas of expression of IL-6, IL-12A, iNOS, and TNF-α in the lung tissue of model animals were established. RESULTS: A study of strain 396 showed that both disease progression and damage to lung tissue are associated with a highly reactive immune response and increased synthesis of iNOS and strain characteristics that block the production of TNF-α. On the contrary, for strain 6691 a low reactivity of the immune response was revealed, with statistically significantly lower values of the relative area of expression of NOS and TNF-α during all observation periods (days 14-120). All animals that survived to day 120 showed a similar morphological picture with differences in cytokine levels, indicating a nonlinear relationship between proinflammatory factors and the damage substratum. CONCLUSION: The progression of the disease and damage of lung tissue were associated with a highly reactive immune response and increased synthesis of iNOS, strain properties that block the TNF-α production. Thus, iNOS and TNF-α can act as molecular markers characterizing the virulence of the "Buryat" and "Omsk" subtypes of M. tuberculosis in lung tissue.

[MOLECULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS STRAINS IN THE NORTHWEST RUSSIA].

The goal of this work was to study the genotypic characteristics of the multidrug-resistant (MDR, i.e., resistant to at least rifampicine and isoniazid) Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated in 2011-2012 from tuberculosis (TB) patients in the Northwest Russia. Spoligotyping of 195 M. tuberculosis isolates identified 14 different spoligotypes and assigned isolates to the genetic families Beijing (n = 162, 83%), LAM (n = 15), H3/URAL (n = 14), as well as T, Haarlem and X. Spoligotypes SIT1 (Beijing), SIT42 (LAM) and SIT262 (H3/URAL) were the most prevalent. Irrespective to the genotype, all the isolates were resistant to streptomycin. The multidrug resistance was accompanied by the resistance to ethionamide (56%), amikacin (31%), kanamycin (40%), and capreomycin (33%). The ethambutol resistance was found in 71% (n = 115) and 42% (n = 14) of the Beijing and non-Beijing strains, respectively (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis population circulating in the Northwest Russia continues to be dominated by the Beijing family strains.

[The genome polymorphism of the Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis strains].

The non-tuberculosis mycobacteria Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) are able to cause human mycobacteriosis. In this work, the results of the first comprehensive study of the genome polymorphism of the clinical strains of MAH were reported using the typing scheme by 13 loci MATR-VNTR (TR292, TRX3, TR25, TR47, MATR-1, MATR-4, MATR-5, MATR-6, MATR-8, MATR-11, MATR-14, MATR-15, MATR-16) containing tandem nucleotide sites and IS1245-RFLP-typing sites. A total of 90 MAH strains isolated from patients with lung mycobacteriosis without epidemiological connection (including HIV infected) were tested in 2008-2011. The inhomogeneity of the MAH strains by 36 profiles of 13 loci MATR-VNTR was observed. The majority of the strains (68.8%) were included in the 8 MATR-VNTR clusters; most large cluster contained 37 strains with 13-bitnumerical profile 2222223145443'. The nucleotide sequence of the MATR-16 (3') locus contains the long deletion (GenBank accession no. KF479191). The MAH strains of the MATR-VNTR clusters were found to be inhomogeneous by the IS1245 marker. The MATR-VNTR-typing method by 13 loci is recommended for preliminary differentiation of domestic MAH strains with further analysis of the MATR-VNTR clusters using the IS1245-RFLP-typing method.

[Genotypic characteristics of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis strains].

Mycobacterium avium are typical environmental, non-tuberculosis microorganisms that occasionally cause mycotuberculosis, an infectious disease in wild and domestic animals, birds, and humans. Here, we report the results of the first study on the genetic diversity of the Russian population of M. avium. A total of 85 M. avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) clinical strains were isolated from patients (including 30 HIV-positive individuals) with mycobacteriosis in St. Petersburg, 2008-2011. The biochemical identification of the microorganisms was carried out using the PCR detection of the mobile elements IS901 and IS900, as well as of the polymorphism of restriction fragments of the hsp65 gene. The genetic diversity of the isolates was evaluated by VNTR typing based on eight variable-number tandem repeats (VNTRs) (292, X3, 25, 47, 3, 7, 10, and 32 [Thibault et al., 2007]). The MAH population studied was characterized by 15 VNTR types, including nine unique patterns and six clusters of isolates with identical eight-digit profiles. The largest clusters (22221128 and 24221128) included 45 (59.2%) and 15 (19.7%) isolates, respectively; the others contained from 2-7 strains. The strains of the cluster 2533112'8 possessed a truncated TR10 locus (allele 2'). Taking into account the absence of the epidemiological links between the patients and the fact that the infection was delivered from the environment, the high rate of clustering of MAH isolates can be explained by the low discriminatory power of the eight-locus VNTR-typing scheme (HGDI 0-0.61).

[Molecular-genetic characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with tuberculous spondylitis].

AIM: Molecular-genetic characteristic of M. tuberculosis strains isolated from operation material of patients with tuberculous spondylitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 107 strains of M. tuberculosis isolated in 2007 - 2011 from patients with spine tuberculosis were studied by methods of spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR by 12 and 24 loci. RESULTS: Strains of genetic family Beijing dominated (n = 80), 78% of those had multiple drug resistance (MDR). Strains of genetic families T, H3 (Ural), LAM, Manu, H4 and S were also detected. Differentiating of 80 strains of Beijing genotype by MIRU-VNTR method by 24 loci revealed 24 variants (HGI = 0.83) including 7 clusters, the largest of those (100-32) included 23 strains (87% MDR). CONCLUSION: The leading role of Beijing genotype M. tuberculosis strains in development of tuberculous spondylitis with multiple drug resistance of the causative agent is shown.

[Biodiversity and evolution of circulating bacteria and virus populations. Novel problems of medical microbiology].

Biodiversity and evolution of circulating bacteria and virus populations is a serious scientific problem, solving this problem is necessary for effective prophylaxis of infectious diseases. Principal trends of development in this field of science are described. Results of studies that were carried out and investigated biodiversity of principal pathogens in Russia and St. Petersburg in particular are presented. Risk of infectious security of society caused by increasing diversity of pathogenic microorganisms is described, and priority trends of research development in this field are specified.

[Characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains circulating in Pskov region].

AIM: Characteristics of drug resistance (DR) and population structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Pskov region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 90 strains of M. tuberculosis drug resistance was studied by culture method and by using "TB-BIOCHIP"; genotyping was determined by spoligotyping method. RESULTS: 55 (61.1%) of 90 M.tuberculosis strains had drug resistance, with 40 (44.4%) being multi-resistant. M. tuberculosis population was presented by SIT1 spoligotype strains of genetic families Beijing--44.4%, LAM--21.1%, T--14.4%, Haarlem--11.1% and Ural--5.6%, according to SpolDB4. Among M. tuberculosis strains circulating in Pskov region the most widespread (44.4%) was SIT1 spoligotype (p < 0.0001). DR and multi-resistant DR (MDR) in Beijing strains occurred more frequently than in "non-Beijing" strains (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03 respectively) and were determined by rpoB mutations Ser531-->Ley and katG Ser315-->Thr. All the SIT252 spoligotype strains were multi-resistant, and their resistance to rifampicin was determined by rpoB Asp516-->Ser substitution, to isoniazid --katG Ser315-->Thr and inhA_T15 substitutions. CONCLUSION: The data obtained gives evidence on tuberculosis epidemiological unfavorability and wide circulation of MDR M. tuberculosis strains in Pskov region.

[Molecular genetic tools for etiologic diagnostics of disseminated lung tuberculosis].

AIM: Improvement of etiologic diagnostics of disseminated lung tuberculosis (DLT) and determination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) drug susceptibility on the basis of molecular genetic methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples from respiratory tract of patients with DLT were studied using real time polymerase chain reaction and the "TB-BIOCHIP" assay developed by Institute of Molecular Biology. Methods of spoligotyping and reverse hybridization were used for identification, genotyping and express-detection of drug resistance of MBT to rifampicin in sputum samples stained for bacterioscopy. RESULTS: In 76 (41.5%) of 183 patients with radiological signs of DLT, DNA of tuberculosis complex mycobacteria was detected in respiratory tract samples (specificity 87.7%); mutations in genes rpoB, katG, inhA as well as region ahpC-oxyR associated with resistance to rifampicin and isoniazide were revealed in 67% and 79.5% of patients with DLT respectively. In 48.8% of sputum samples, DNA of MBT of epidemically significant genotype Beijing associated with multidrug resistance of MBT in Russia was identified. CONCLUSION: Molecular genetic methods allow to use both fresh and archived respiratory tract specimens for rapid verification of DLT diagnosis during oligobacillar forms of tuberculosis as well as timely prescribe and correct the treatment regimen of the patient according to individual drug susceptibility spectrum of the agent.

[Drug sensitivity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis versus its viability, cytotoxicity, genotype, and the course of the process in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis].

The authors studied drug sensitivity, mutations in the katG, in-hA, alpC, rpoB genes, virulence via the cytotoxicity test on THP-1 cells, and the viability and genetic affiliation of 53 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates versus data on the form and dynamics of a process. Sensitive and resistant strains did not significantly differ in viability and cytotoxicity. The highest death of infected macrophages was observed was seen with infection of M. tuberculosis of the Beijing B0 genotype, the least one seen with that of LAM with the similar rate of multiple drug resistance. There was a correlation of the changes in the count of lymphocytes in patients with the genetic affiliation of a causative agent. The severest course of the tuberculous process was observed in baseline lymphopenia (before treatment) in combination with multidrug resistance of mycobacteria, high and moderate cytotoxicity and high viability. Ser-Leu 531 mutation resulted in cross resistance to rifampicin and mycobutin in most cases.

Efficient differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains of the W-Beijing family from Russia using highly polymorphic VNTR loci.

The W-Beijing family is a widespread Mycobacterium tuberculosis clonal lineage that frequently causes epidemic outbreaks. This family is genetically homogeneous and conserved, so ETR-VNTR (exact tandem repeat-variable number of tandem repeats) typing is insufficient for strain differentiation, due to a common ETR-A to E profile (42435). This leads to the false clustering in molecular epidemiological studies, especially in the regions of predominance of the W-Beijing family. In this study, we searched for VNTR loci with a high evolutionary rate of polymorphism in the W-Beijing genome. Here we further evaluated VNTR typing on a set of 99 Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates and reference strains. These isolates were characterized and classified into several genotype families based on three ETR loci (A, C, E) and eight additional loci [previously described as QUB (Queen's University Belfast) or MIRU (Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units) or Mtubs]. Ninety-nine strains were divided into 74 VNTR-types, 51 isolates of the W-Beijing family identified by IS6110 RFLP-typing (the restriction fragment length polymorphism-typing) and/or spoligotyping were subdivided into 30 VNTR-types. HGDI (the Hunter-Gaston discriminatory index) for all studied loci was close to that of IS6110 RFLP typing, a "gold standard" method for subtyping M. tuberculosis complex strains. The QUB 26 and QUB 18 loci located in the PPE genes were highly polymorphic and more discriminative than other loci (HGDI is 0.8). Statistically significant increase of tandem repeats number in loci ETR-A, -E, QUB 26, QUB 18, QUB 11B, Mtub21 was revealed in the W-Beijing group compared to genetically divergent non-W-Beijing strains. Thirty-six isolates were subjected to IS6110 RFLP typing. The congruence between results of the IS6110 RFLP typing and 11-loci VNTR typing was estimated on 23 isolates of the W-Beijing family. These isolates were subdivided into 9 IS6110-RFLP types and 13 VNTR types. The poor profiles correlation (0.767) reflects the differences in the rate and type of evolution between genome regions targeted by IS6110-RFLP and VNTR typing. VNTR typing in proposed format is powerful tool for discrimination of M. tuberculosis strains with different level of genetic relationship.

[Differentiation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis W-Beijing family strains from the Russian Federation by the VNTR-typing].

Recent phylogenetic studies allowed the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex to be divided into a number of the strain families. The W-Beijing family is one of most widespread M. tuberculosis variants frequently causing epidemic outbreaks. This family is genetically homogenous and conserved so that ETR A, B, C, D, E - typing is insufficient for the W-Beijing differentiation. All W-Beijing isolates have common profile (42435). This led to the false clustering in the molecular epidemiology study, especially in the region of predominance of the W-Beijing family. In this investigation we searched for the VNTR loci with high evolution rate, which were polymorphic in the W-Beijing genome. Eleven VNTR-loci were assayed in the DNA panel of 99 M. tuberculosis isolates from the tuberculosis patients in North-West and West-Siberian regions of Russia during the period from 2000 to 2001. Ninety nine strains of M. tuberculosis were divided into 74 VNTR-types, 51 isolates of the W-Beijing family were subdivided into 30 VNTR-types. The Hunter-Gudson index (HGDI) for all studied loci (ETR-A, ETR-C, ETR-E, V, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6, V10, V11) was close to one of the IS6110 RFLP indices being "the gold standard" of the M. tuberculosis complex genotyping. The V2, V3 loci located in the sequences of the PPE gene family, were highly polymorphic and more discriminative then others (HGDI is about 0.8). The congruence between the IS6110 RFLP-typing and 11 loci VNTR-typing was measured during genotyping for 23 isolates of the W-Beijing family. The isolates were divided into 9 genotypes by the IS6110 RFLP and into 13 variants by the VNTR-typing. The profiles correlation coefficient was 0.767689 that reflected the differences in the rate and type of the given genome target evolution.

[Genotypic characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from the Republic of Tyva]. / Genotipicheskaia kharakteristika shtammov Mycobacterium tuberculosis iz Respubliki Tyva.

To determine the genetic heterogenicity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from patients with tuberculosis from different districts of the Republic of Tyva, 71 M. tuberculosis strains IS6110 according to the polymorphism of restriction fragment lengths were typed; of them 32 strains were spoligotyped. The study could genetically characterize the groups of M. tuberculosis strains circulating among patients with tuberculosis in the Republic of Tyva. There was a predominance of the W family of mycobacteria (60.56%). The spoligotyping permitted identification of M. tuberculosis with the spoligotype Beijing in the Republic of Tyva. The mycobacteria belonging to this spoligotype were prevalent and accounted for 50% of the strains. The high proportion of strains with the unique spoligotype (25%) that have not earlier been encountered in the international database is a specific feature of the Mycobacterium population from the Republic of Tyva.

[Bacteriological diagnosis of mycobacteriosis: possibilities and prospects]. / Vozmozhnosti i perspektivy bakteriologicheskoi diagnostiki mikobakterioza.

The results of identification of Mycobacterium non-tuberculosis isolated in the North-West Region of the Russian Federation, which have been obtained in the past 20 years, are presented. The identification was made by bacteriological and biochemical studies. M. avium-intracellulare complex is the man causative agent of mycobacteriosis. The currently available methods of chromatography and molecular genetics, which are designed for accelerated detection and species-specific identification of Mycobacterium, are briefly reviewed.

[Pulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis of different genotypes]. / Tuberkulez legkikh, vyzvannyi Mycobacterium tuberculosis razlichnykh genotipov.

A relationship of the clinical picture of destructive pulmonary tuberculosis to the genotype, drug resistance, and virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) strains was studied. As compared with the processes induced by individual genotypes, pulmonary tuberculosis caused by MBT from the family Beijing was found to be characterized by more marked clinical symptoms, multisegmental lung tissue lesions with multiple decay cavities, by low bacteriostatic blood activity, abundant bacterial isolation, and progression. MBT of the Beijing genotype were characterized by higher rates of resistance to antituberculous drugs and their combinations than were the strains of individual genotypes; they have a high virulence, which is likely to enhance their transmissibility and to determine the poor course of a specific process.

[Microbiological and molecular genetic characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with multiorgan and generalized tuberculosis]. / Mikrobiologicheskaia i molekuliarno-geneticheskaia kharakteristika shtammov Mycobacterium tuberculosis, vydelennykh ot bol'nykh poliorgannym i generalizovannym tuberkulezom.

The paper presents the microbiological and molecular genetic characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) isolated from multiple lesion foci in 26 patients with multiorgan and generalized tuberculosis. Cultures of MBT of the family Beijing were isolated from the pathological specimens taken from 17 (65.4%) patients; those with individual genotypes were in 9 (34.6%) patients. The study indicated that cultured MBT from different types of pathological material from 25 of the 26 patients had identical spoligotypes irrespective of their clinical diagnosis. At the same time minor profile IS6110 changes might occur in the Mycobacteria of a patient during persistence. It may be concluded that multiple foci of tuberculous affliction in the patients are of unique origin and have the mechanism of development, associated with endogenous reactivation of infection.

[The genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and an assessment of risk factors of tuberculosis spread in Russia's Siberian region by molecular epidemiological methods]. / Geneticheskoe raznoobrazie Mycobacterium tuberculosis i otsenka faktorov riska rasprostraneniia zabolevaniia tuberkulezom v Sibirskom regione Rossii metodami molekuliarnoi épidemiologii.

Molecular epidemiology approaches provided for a new interpretation of the TB infection transmission dynamics, contributed to changing the focuses of attention and updated the monitoring practice. On the basis of 101 cases of isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) complex sampled from 84 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in the Siberian region, we proved that the independent methods of IS6110 RFLP genetic typing and VNTR-typing by five accurate repeat tandems of ETR A, B, C, D, and E bring about similar results and can be used in studying the MTB clonal structure population in the Siberian region for the purpose of defining the TB infection transmission dynamics. The most widespread genetic types were detected, i.e. Beeijing family strains, the S42 spoligotype, and the 31323 VNTR type, which account for 52.3% of all samples. The general parameters describing the epidemic process intensity were evaluated, i.e. those characterizing the strains (91.6%) and the transmission activity factor (72%). Consequently, each three of the four analyzed TB cases resulted from a recent transmission. However, there is a trend, within the analyzed samples, towards a higher percentage of clusterization in the age group ranging from 40 to 60. Such trend is typical of a prevalence of TB reactivation cases caused by MBT complex strains spread intensively in the discussed territory. As for the clusterized isolates, which are endemic for the territory, such data should be interpreted as a recent transmission only cautiously. 28.5% of the studied isolates are resistant to anti-TB drugs used in medical practice; and 35.7% of them are resistant to izoniazide and rifampicin, therefore, according to the WHO classification they are considered to be poly-antibiotics-resistant (PAR). No strict associations were found between the spectrum of antibiotics-resistance and any of genotypes, however, 30% of PAR strains are 32525 and 42525 types VNTR (spoligotype S1 or Beejing type).

[Sensitivity to levofloxacin of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains with various phenotype isolated from patients with newly diagnosed and chronic tuberculosis]. / Chuvstvitel'nost' k levofloksatsinu shtammov Mycobacterium tuberculosis s razlichnym genotipom, vydelennykh ot bol'nykh s vpervye vyiavlennym i khronicheskim tuberkuleznym protsessom.

Susceptibility to levofloxacin of 56 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, isolated from 22 patients with first estimated and 84 patients with chronic tuberculosis was investigated. Ratio of multi-drug resistance achieved 54.5 per cent in first group and 94.1 per cent in the second group. 23 (41.1 per cent) isolated strains belonged to individual genotypes, 33 (58.9 per cent)--to Beijing group. All mycobacteria isolates were sensitive to critical concentration of levofloxacin--10 mcg/mL. The results of the investigation proves the ability to recommend levofloxacin application at the patients with first estimated tuberculosis and at the patients with most hazardous tuberculosis pathogen of Beijing group.

[Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains prevalent in North-West of Russia by spoligotyping]. / Kharakteristika tsirkuliruiushchikh na Severo-Zapade Rossii shtammov Mycobacterium tuberculosis s ispol'zovaniem spoligotipirovaniia.

Spoligotyping was used for genotyping of 238 M. tuberculosis cultures isolated from 302 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis living in the north-west of Russia, including those in Saint Petersburg, in 1998-2001, and the M. tuberculosis strains H37Rv, M. bovis, and M. bovic BCG and M. tuberculosis in the specimens painted for microscopy. The quality of spoligotyping was high and similar to that when DNA from the cultured mycobacteria and slide scrapes. The findings were compared with the data available in the International database. There was heterogenicity in the microbial population: the clinical strains showed 58 (RO-R57) types of profiles, of them 56% were revealed in single cases. The spoligotype RO(1; S1) was found in 153 (51%) patients. This spoligotype is predominant in the world and characteristic of polyresistant high-transmissive strains of the genetic family Beijing. The spoligotypes R24 (251), R14 (252), and R8 (253) first described by the authors are now encountered only in Russia. To extend the Russian database that contains M. tuberculosis spologotyping profiles from different regions will promote the improvement of an epidemiological surveillance system and tuberculosis control programmes not only within administrative territorial entities, but also within the whole country.

[Molecular genetic characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from patients operated on for pulmonary tuberculosis]. / Molekuliarno-geneticheskaia kharakteristika shtammov Mycobacterium tuberculosis, vydelennykh ot bol'nykh, operirovannykh po povodu tuberkuleza legkikh.

The RFLP-IS6110 assay was used to genotype 67 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from different specimens (including intraoperative ones) of 24 patients operated on for chronic progressive pulmonary tuberculosis who lived in north-western Russia. More than half (53%) of 17 types of RFLP profiles of isolates are identical and typical of M. tuberculosis of the Beijing family. Comparing the results of isolate genotyping with clinical, microbiological, and pathomorphological findings allows cases of endogenous reactivation to be differentiated from exogenous (nosocomial, in particular) reinfection in recurrence. Beijing genotype strains are shown to cause more severe unarrested course of drug-resistant fibrocavernous tuberculosis. At the same time such strains are more frequently detected in relatively young persons with a shorter duration of the disease, which reflects current clonal Beijing genotype dissemination that present a severe epidemiological hazard.

[Genetic marking of polyresistant mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated in the north-west of Russia]. / Geneticheskoe markirovanie polirezistentnykh shtammov mycobacterium tuberculosis, vydelennykh na severo-zapade Rossii.

RFLP analysis using a IS6110 probe was used to genetically marked polyresistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in the north-west of Russia in 1996-1997. Two groups of genetically closely related, but epidemiologically unrelated strains of different territorial origin were identified. The epidemiological value of and the origin of genetically identified and related strains are discussed. The significance and prospects of the use of RFLP-based genome dactyloscopy are shown for follow-ups of the circulation of epidemic strains in order to improve the system of tuberculosis epidemiological surveillance and treatment efficiency control.