Wavelength division multiplexing based on the coupling effect of helical edge states in two-dimensional dielectric photonic crystals.

Photonic topological insulators with topologically protected edge states featuring one-way, robustness and backscattering-immunity possess extraordinary abilities to steer and manipulate light. In this work, we construct a topological heterostructure (TH) consisting of a domain of nontrivial pseudospin-type topological photonic crystals (PCs) sandwiched between two domains of trivial PCs based on two-dimensional all-dielectric core-shell PCs in triangle lattice. We consider three THs with different number of layers in the middle nontrivial domain (i.e., one-layer, two-layer, three-layer) and demonstrate that the projected band diagrams of the three THs host interesting topological waveguide states (TWSs) with properties of one-way, large-area, broad-bandwidth and robustness due to coupling effect of the helical edge states associated with the two domain-wall interfaces. Moreover, taking advantage of the tunable bandgap between the TWSs by the layer number of the middle domain due to the coupling effect, a topological Y-splitter with functionality of wavelength division multiplexing is explicitly demonstrated exploiting the unique feature of the dispersion curves of TWSs in the three THs. Our work not only offers a new method to realize pseudospin-polarized large-area TWSs with tunable mode-width, but also could provide new opportunities for practical applications in on-chip multifunctional (i.e., wavelength division multiplexing) photonic devices with topological protection and information processing with pseudospin-dependent transport.

High-Q metasurface signal isolator for 1.5T surface coil magnetic resonance imaging on the go.

The combination of surface coils and metamaterials remarkably enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performance for significant local staging flexibility. However, due to the coupling in between, impeded signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and low-contrast resolution, further hamper the future growth in clinical MRI. In this paper, we propose a high-Q metasurface decoupling isolator fueled by topological LC loops for 1.5T surface coil MRI system, increasing the magnetic field up to fivefold at 63.8 MHz. We have employed a polarization conversion mechanism to effectively eliminate the coupling between the MRI metamaterial and the radio frequency (RF) surface transmitter-receiver coils. Furthermore, a high-Q metasurface isolator was achieved by taking advantage of bound states in the continuum (BIC) for extremely high-resolution MRI and spectroscopy. An equivalent physical model of the miniaturized metasurface design was put forward through LC circuit analysis. This study opens up a promising route for the easy-to-use and portable surface coil MRI scanners.

Isolation of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) from Household Water of Patients with NTM Pulmonary Disease.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of NTM in household water in China and assess its potential role as a source of infection for NTM pulmonary disease, a crucial step for understanding and controlling the spread of this increasingly prevalent disease. Methods: To examine the prevalence of mycobacteria in household water, 500 mL water samples and swabs were collected from all taps of 19 patients' homes. The amplification of mycobacterial 16SrRNA with bacteriological identification was as a protocol to discriminate mycobacterial isolations from non- mycobacterial isolations. The 570bp 16SrRNA amplicon was sequenced and used to define mycobacterial species. Results: The mycobacteria isolated from clinical samples from 19 patients included M. intracellulare, M. avium, M. abscessus, and M. kansasii. NTM isolated from household water of patients included M. avium (1 case), M. abscessus (2 cases), M. kansasii (8 cases), M. gordonae (1 case), M. gilvum (1 case), M. fortuitum (1 case), M. porcinum (1 case). M. abscessus, M. kansasii, and M. avium causing human disease were isolated from household water. Though M. intracellulare was the predominant species isolated from patients with NTM pulmonary disease, it was not found in household water. In addition, our results revealed that NTM preferentially colonize in biofilm/sediment (75% of positive growths were from tap swab samples), indicating the significance of finding specific NTM species in household water in relation to the patients' conditions, or the lack of correlation between M. intracellulare in patients and its absence in household water. Conclusions: The isolation of pathogenic NTM species from household water underscores the critical role of water hygiene in preventing NTM pulmonary disease and highlights the need for targeted public health strategies.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis inhibits METTL14-mediated m6A methylation of Nox2 mRNA and suppresses anti-TB immunity.

Internal N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications are among the most abundant modifications of messenger RNA, playing a critical role in diverse biological and pathological processes. However, the functional role and regulatory mechanism of m6A modifications in the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection remains unknown. Here, we report that methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14)-dependent m6A methylation of NAPDH oxidase 2 (Nox2) mRNA was crucial for the host immune defense against M. tuberculosis infection and that M. tuberculosis-secreted antigen EsxB (Rv3874) inhibited METTL14-dependent m6A methylation of Nox2 mRNA. Mechanistically, EsxB interacted with p38 MAP kinase and disrupted the association of TAB1 with p38, thus inhibiting the TAB1-mediated autophosphorylation of p38. Interaction of EsxB with p38 also impeded the binding of p38 with METTL14, thereby inhibiting the p38-mediated phosphorylation of METTL14 at Thr72. Inhibition of p38 by EsxB restrained liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of METTL14 and its subsequent interaction with METTL3, preventing the m6A modification of Nox2 mRNA and its association with the m6A-binding protein IGF2BP1 to destabilize Nox2 mRNA, reduce ROS levels, and increase intracellular survival of M. tuberculosis. Moreover, deletion or mutation of the phosphorylation site on METTL14 impaired the inhibition of ROS level by EsxB and increased bacterial burden or histological damage in the lungs during infection in mice. These findings identify a previously unknown mechanism that M. tuberculosis employs to suppress host immunity, providing insights that may empower the development of effective immunomodulators that target M. tuberculosis.

Assessment of Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy Receipt by Age and Association With Outcomes in Women With Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: Postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) reduces locoregional recurrence (LRR) and improves overall survival (OS) in patients with breast cancer. Young age has been recognized as a risk factor for LRR. The primary objective of this study was to determine if recommendations for PMRT differed among patients younger than 50 years as compared to women aged 50 years or older. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy with or without PMRT from 2010 through 2018. Univariable and multivariable models were used to estimate the association of age with PMRT. RESULTS: Of 2471 patients, 839 (34%) were <50 years; 1632 (66%) were ≥50 years. Patients <50 years had a higher percentage of grade 3 tumors, hormone receptor (HR) negative and/or Her-2/neu positive tumors, clinical stage T2/T3 tumors, and nodal involvement. Compared with patients ≥50 years, patients <50 years were more likely to undergo PMRT (OR 1.57; P = .001) and regional node irradiation (RNI) to the internal mammary nodes. Advanced clinical and pathologic stage, invasive tumor histology, the presence of lymphovascular invasion, and treatment with systemic chemotherapy were predictors of PMRT receipt for patients <50 years (P < .05). PMRT was associated with improved OS and recurrence free survival (RFS) among all patients (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Patients <50 years were more likely to undergo PMRT and to receive RNI to the internal mammary nodes but were also more likely to have other risk factors for recurrence that would warrant a PMRT recommendation. PMRT improved OS and RFS for all patients.

Changes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific antigen-stimulated CD27-CD38+IFN-γ+CD4+ T cells before and after anti-tuberculosis treatment.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate whether the expression of CD27-CD38+ in interferon (IFN)-γ+CD4+ T cells stimulated by the specific antigen early secreted antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6)/culture filter protein-10 (CFP-10) could be a potential new therapeutic evaluation indicator for anti-tuberculosis (TB) treatment. METHODS: Newly diagnosed active pulmonary TB patients, latent TB infection (LTBI) and healthy controls were enrolled from January 2021 to December 2021. PTB patients were treated by standard anti-TB regimen 2HREZ/4HR (2 months of isoniazid (H), rifampin (R), ethambutol (E), and pyrazinamide (Z) followed by 4 months of isoniazid (H) and rifampin (R)). The difference of CD27-CD38+ expression in IFN-γ+CD4+ T cells before treatment, 2 months after treatment, and 6 months after treatment were compared. RESULTS: Total 45 PTB patients, 38 LTBI cases and 43 healthy controls were enrolled. The expression of CD27-CD38+ decreased significantly after anti-TB treatment and was comparable with that in LTBI and healthy controls when the 6-month anti-TB treatment course was completed. The decline rate of CD27-CD38+ between 6 months after treatment and baseline was positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.766, P < 0.0001), C-reactive protein (r = 0.560, P = 0.003) and chest computerized tomography severity score (r = 0.632, P = 0.0005). The area under receiver operator characteristic curve of CD27-CD38+ in distinguish pulmonary TB patients before and after treatment was 0.779. CONCLUSION: The expression of CD27-CD38+ in ESAT-6/CFP-10 stimulated IFN-γ+CD4+T cells can well reflect the changes of the disease before and after anti-TB treatment, which is expected to be a potential new therapeutic evaluation index. Clinical Registry number chiCTR1800019966.

Rapid detection of clarithromycin resistance in clinical samples of nontuberculous mycobacteria by nucleotide MALDI-TOF MS.

The multidrug resistance of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) poses a significant therapeutic challenge. Rapid and reliable drug susceptibility testing is urgently needed for evidence-based treatment decision, especially for macrolides. This study evaluated the utility of nucleotide matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (NMTMS) in detecting clarithromycin resistance. Sixty-four clinical isolates were identified to species by NMTMS, and mutations associated with clarithromycin resistance were detected. Twenty-three M. abscessus (MAB) isolates and 30 M. intracellulare isolates (including M. intracellulare alone and M. intracellulare in combination with other SGM species) were included for analysis. The predictive sensitivity of NMTMS in detecting clarithromycin resistance was 82.35% (95% CI, 56.57% to 96.20%), with an AUC of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.77 to 0.96) in all MAB and M. intracellulare (n = 53), and up to 93.33% (95% CI, 68.05% to 99.83%) in MAB alone (n = 23). The assay provides a rapid, high-throughput, and highly sensitive tool for detecting clarithromycin resistance in NTM, especially in MAB. Optimization of the panel is necessary to enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Na2CO3-responsive mechanism insight from quantitative proteomics and SlRUB gene function in Salix linearistipularis seedlings.

Mongolian willow (Salix linearistipularis) is a naturally occurring woody dioecious plant in the saline soils of north-eastern China, which has a high tolerance to alkaline salts. Although transcriptomics studies have identified a large number of salinity-responsive genes, the mechanism of salt tolerance in Mongolian willow is not clear. Here, we found that in response to Na2CO3 stress, Mongolian willow regulates osmotic homeostasis by accumulating proline and soluble sugars and scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS) by antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Our quantitative proteomics study identified 154 salt-sensitive proteins mainly involved in maintaining the stability of the photosynthetic system and ROS homeostasis to cope with Na2CO3 stress. Among them, Na2CO3-induced rubredoxin (RUB) was predicted to be associated with 122 proteins for the modulation of these processes. The chloroplast-localized S. linearistipularis rubredoxin (SlRUB) was highly expressed in leaves and was significantly induced under Na2CO3 stress. Phenotypic analysis of overexpression, mutation and complementation materials of RUB in Arabidopsis suggests that SlRUB is critical for the regulation of photosynthesis, ROS scavenging and other metabolisms in the seedlings of Mongolian willow to cope with Na2CO3 stress. This provides more clues to better understand the alkali-responsive mechanism and RUB functions in the woody Mongolian willow.

Inhibition of EphA4 reduces vasogenic edema after experimental stroke in mice by protecting the blood-brain barrier integrity.

Cerebral vasogenic edema, a severe complication of ischemic stroke, aggravates neurological deficits. However, therapeutics to reduce cerebral edema still represent a significant unmet medical need. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), vital for maintaining the blood-brain barrier (BBB), represent the first defense barrier for vasogenic edema. Here, we analyzed the proteomic profiles of the cultured mouse BMECs during oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R). Besides the extensively altered cytoskeletal proteins, ephrin type-A receptor 4 (EphA4) expressions and its activated phosphorylated form p-EphA4 were significantly increased. Blocking EphA4 using EphA4-Fc, a specific and well-tolerated inhibitor shown in our ongoing human phase I trial, effectively reduced OGD/R-induced BMECs contraction and tight junction damage. EphA4-Fc did not protect OGD/R-induced neuronal and astrocytic death. However, administration of EphA4-Fc, before or after the onset of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO), reduced brain edema by about 50%, leading to improved neurological function recovery. The BBB permeability test also confirmed that cerebral BBB integrity was well maintained in tMCAO brains treated with EphA4-Fc. Therefore, EphA4 was critical in signaling BMECs-mediated BBB breakdown and vasogenic edema during cerebral ischemia. EphA4-Fc is promising for the treatment of clinical post-stroke edema.

Correlation between Water Environment and Prevalence of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Pulmonary Disease: A Case-Control Study.

Objective: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) prevalence in water systems has raised concerns about Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Pulmonary Disease (NTM-PD). Understanding the relationship between NTM-PD, drinking water distribution systems (DWDS), and other epidemiological factors is crucial for public health. Methods: A case-control study was conducted at the Inpatient Department of Tuberculosis Department of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital. Subjects were divided into the NTM-PD group (n = 314) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) group (n = 308) at a 1:1 ratio. Data was collected through questionnaires covering general information, depression (Self-Rating Depression Scale, SDS), and anxiety (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, SAS). Multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis was employed for the study. Results: The average age of NTM-PD patients was 55.26±14.44, with clinical symptoms including chest tightness, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, fever, and expectoration. Risk factors for NTM-PD included age (>60 years old, OR=1.042), gender (female, OR = 3.089), secondary water supply system (OR = 7.813), occupation (farmer/flower farmer, OR=2.676), depression (OR = 2.956), recurrent bronchiectasis (OR = 6.314), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, OR = 2.704), and autoimmune disease (OR = 13.588) (P < .05). Use of household water purifiers was identified as a protective factor (OR = 0.128, P < .001). Conclusion: DWDS, drinking water mode, soil-related occupation, bronchiectasis, COPD, age, sex, and depression were closely related to the risk of NTM-PD. It is suggested to pay attention to water hygiene and illness progress and regulate mood to prevent NTM-PD in daily life.

Effectiveness and safety of regimens containing linezolid for treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of linezolid-containing regimens for treatment of M. abscessus pulmonary disease. METHODS: The records of 336 patients with M. abscessus pulmonary disease who were admitted to Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 164 patients received a linezolid-containing regimen and 172 controls did not. The effectiveness, safety, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, outcomes, culture conversion, cavity closure, and adverse reactions were compared in these two groups. RESULTS: The two groups had similar treatment success (56.1% vs. 48.8%; P > 0.05), but treatment duration was shorter in the linezolid group (16.0 months [inter-quartile ranges, IQR: 15.0-17.0] vs. 18.0 months [IQR: 16.0-18.0]; P < 0.01). The rates of sputum culture conversion were similar (53.7% vs. 46.5%, P > 0.05), but time to conversion was shorter in the linezolid group (3.5 months [IQR: 2.5-4.4] vs. 5.5 months [IQR: 4.0-6.8]; P < 0.01). The linezolid group had a higher rate of cavity closure (55.2% vs. 28.6%, P < 0.05) and a shorter time to cavity closure (3.5 months [IQR: 2.5-4.4] vs. 5.5 months [IQR: 4.0-6.8]; P < 0.01). Anemia and peripheral neuropathy were more common in the linezolid group (17.7% vs. 1.7%, P < 0.01; 12.8% vs. 0.6%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The linezolid and control groups had similar treatment success rates. The linezolid group had a shorter treatment duration, shorter time to sputum culture conversion, and higher rate and shorter time to lung cavity closure. More patients receiving linezolid developed anemia and peripheral neuropathy.

Bedaquiline, Delamanid, Linezolid, Clofazimine, and Capreomycin MIC Distributions for Drug Resistance Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Shanghai, China.

Background: New antituberculosis drugs have recently been approved for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis TB (MDR-TB). We aimed to describe the distributions of bedaquiline, delamanid, linezolid, clofazimine, and capreomycin MIC values for M. tuberculosis. Methods: M. tuberculosis clinical isolates were originally isolated from 2020 to 2021 from 1452 different pulmonary tuberculosis patients of the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital in China. The drug susceptibility testing was performed using the Sensititre custom plates (SHTBMY) (TREK Diagnostic Systems, Thermo Fisher Scientific In., USA) consisting of a 96-well microtitre plate containing 4 (bedaquiline, delamanid, clofazimine, capreomycin) antimicrobial agents. MICs were determined for linezolid using a microdilution method. Results: Based on the latest definitions, 156 (10.74%) were MDR-TB, 93 (6.40%) were pre-XDR-TB, and 27 (1.86%) were XDR-TB. The rate of BDQ resistance in cases of MDR-TB was 7.69%, while it was observed to be 10.75% in cases of pre-XDR-TB, and significantly higher at 37.04% in cases of XDR-TB. The lowest rate of drug resistance against M. tuberculosis was DLM (0.14%). For LZD, 11 (0.76%) clinical isolates were resistant, based on the CLSI breakpoint of 1µg/mL. The five strains with a MIC value of >32 for LZD resistance were XDR-TB isolates. Among all MDR, pre-XDR, and XDR isolates tested, LZD' MIC50 increased from 0.25 and 0.5 to 1µg/mL. The MIC90 value of LZD against XDR-TB isolates was 32µg/mL. For CFZ, six isolates with elevated MICs of ≥2µg/mL. CFZ's MIC50 and MIC90 values in all isolates were 0.12µg/mL and 0.25µg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that BDQ, DLM, CFZ, and LZD may exhibited excellent in vitro activity against MDR-TB isolates. Detection of resistance to BDQ and LZD was alarming for XDR-TB isolates. It is necessary to perform universal drug sensitivity testing for M. tuberculosis, especially MDR-TB and XDR-TB patients.

Mycobacterial DnaQ is an Alternative Proofreader Ensuring DNA Replication Fidelity.

Remove of mis-incorporated nucleotides ensures replicative fidelity. Although the ε-exonuclease DnaQ is a well-established proofreader in the model organism Escherichia coli, proofreading in mycobacteria relies on the polymerase and histidinol phosphatase (PHP) domain of replicative polymerase despite the presence of an alternative DnaQ homolog. Here, we show that depletion of DnaQ in Mycolicibacterium smegmatis results in increased mutation rate, leading to AT-biased mutagenesis and elevated insertions/deletions in homopolymer tract. We demonstrated that mycobacterial DnaQ binds to the b-clamp and functions synergistically with the PHP domain to correct replication errors. Further, we found that the mycobacterial DnaQ sustains replicative fidelity upon chromosome topological stress. Intriguingly, we showed that a naturally evolved DnaQ variant prevalent in clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates enables hypermutability and is associated with extensive drug resistance. These results collectively establish that the alternative DnaQ functions in proofreading, and thus reveal that mycobacteria deploy two proofreaders to maintain replicative fidelity.

Effects of GHRH Deficiency and GHRH Antagonism on Emotional Disorders in Mice.

Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GHRH) has been suggested to play a crucial role in brain function. We aimed to further investigate the effects of a novel GHRH antagonist of the Miami (MIA) series, MIA-602, on emotional disorders and explore the relationships between the endocrine system and mood disorders. In this context, the effects induced by MIA-602 were also analyzed in comparison to vehicle-treated mice with GH deficiency due to generalized ablation of the GHRH gene (GHRH knock out (GHRHKO)). We show that the chronic subcutaneous administration of MIA-602 to wild type (+/+) mice, as well as generalized ablation of the GHRH gene, is associated with anxiolytic and antidepressant behavior. Moreover, immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses suggested an evident activation of Nrf2, HO1, and NQO1 in the prefrontal cortex of both +/+ mice treated with MIA-602 (+/+ MIA-602) and homozygous GHRHKO (-/- control) animals. Finally, we also found significantly decreased COX-2, iNOS, NFkB, and TNF-α gene expressions, as well as increased P-AKT and AKT levels in +/+ MIA-602 and -/- control animals compared to +/+ mice treated with vehicle (+/+ control). We hypothesize that the generalized ablation of the GHRH gene leads to a dysregulation of neural pathways, which is mimicked by GHRH antagonist treatment.

Design and Construction of the Optical Bench Interferometer for the Taiji Program.

A kind of full-function two-sided optical bench interferometer (OBI) is designed to meet the practical requirements of the Taiji Program for space gravitational wave detection. The main optical paths are arranged on the A-side for transmission and interference, and other optical paths and electronic devices are placed on the B-side. According to the design scheme, we successfully constructed two OBIs by using hydrogen-oxygen catalytic stress-free bonding technology. When the OBI is installed and adjusted, the position and Angle error of the interference beam are controlled within 30 µm and 50 µrad through the self-designed precision mechanical clamping mechanism and beam position measuring device. The built OBI was placed on the vibration isolation platform in the vacuum tank for the stability test. The test results show that the noise of the OBI is less than 10 pm/√Hz in the frequency band of 0.1 Hz to 1 Hz, which meets the noise budget requirements of the Taiji Pathfinder in the middle- and high-frequency band.

Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonist MIA-602 attenuates cardiopulmonary injury induced by BSL-2 rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 in hACE2 mice.

COVID-19 pneumonia causes acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) characterized by early pulmonary endothelial and epithelial injuries with altered pulmonary diffusing capacity and obstructive or restrictive physiology. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) is expressed in the lung and heart. GHRH-R antagonist, MIA-602, has been reported to modulate immune responses to bleomycin lung injury and inflammation in granulomatous sarcoidosis. We hypothesized that MIA-602 would attenuate rVSV-SARS-CoV-2-induced pulmonary dysfunction and heart injury in a BSL-2 mouse model. Male and female K18-hACE2tg mice were inoculated with SARS-CoV-2/USA-WA1/2020, BSL-2-compliant recombinant VSV-eGFP-SARS-CoV-2-Spike (rVSV-SARS-CoV-2), or PBS, and lung viral load, weight loss, histopathology, and gene expression were compared. K18-hACE2tg mice infected with rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 were treated daily with subcutaneous MIA-602 or vehicle and conscious, unrestrained plethysmography performed on days 0, 3, and 5 (n = 7 to 8). Five days after infection mice were killed, and blood and tissues collected for histopathology and protein/gene expression. Both native SARS-CoV-2 and rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 presented similar patterns of weight loss, infectivity (~60%), and histopathologic changes. Daily treatment with MIA-602 conferred weight recovery, reduced lung perivascular inflammation/pneumonia, and decreased lung/heart ICAM-1 expression compared to vehicle. MIA-602 rescued altered respiratory rate, increased expiratory parameters (Te, PEF, EEP), and normalized airflow parameters (Penh and Rpef) compared to vehicle, consistent with decreased airway inflammation. RNASeq followed by protein analysis revealed heightened levels of inflammation and end-stage necroptosis markers, including ZBP1 and pMLKL induced by rVSV-SARS-CoV-2, that were normalized by MIA-602 treatment, consistent with an anti-inflammatory and pro-survival mechanism of action in this preclinical model of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Performance of the MeltPro TB assay as initial test for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis with drug-resistance detection.

BACKGROUND: The MeltPro TB assay (MeltPro) is a molecular rapid diagnostic test designed for detecting resistance to antituberculosis drugs. However, the performance of MeltPro as an initial diagnostic test for simultaneously detecting the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and drug resistance has not been evaluated. This study aims to assess the performance of MeltPro as initial diagnostic test for simultaneous detection of MTB and drug resistance in clinical samples from patients with presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1283 patients with presumptive PTB from two clinical centers, out of which 875 were diagnosed with PTB. The diagnostic accuracy of MeltPro, Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert), and MGIT 960 for PTB detection was evaluated. Rifampicin (RIF), isoniazid (INH), ethambutol (EMB), streptomycin (STR), and fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance were detected using MeltPro, with Xpert and/or the broth microdilution plate method (MYCOTB) results as references. RESULTS: For the diagnosis of PTB, MeltPro showed a sensitivity of 69.0%, which was similar to Xpert (72.7%; P > 0.05) and higher than MGIT (58.1%; P < 0.001). The specificity of MeltPro was 97.1%, similar to Xpert (98.0%; P > 0.05). In smear-negative patients, MeltPro's sensitivity was 50.9%, similar to Xpert (56.5%; P > 0.05), and higher than MGIT (33.1%; P < 0.001). Based on Xpert and/or MYCOTB results, MeltPro exhibited a sensitivity and specificity of 98.3% and 99.2%, respectively, for detecting RIF resistance. Based on MYCOTB results, MeltPro's sensitivity for detecting resistance to INH, EMB, STR, and FQ was 96.4%, 89.1%, 97.5%, and 90.3%, respectively, with specificities of 96.0%, 96.0%, 95.2%, and 99.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The MeltPro TB assay could potentially be an effective alternative as the initial test for rapid diagnosis of PTB with drug-resistance detection in clinical practice.