Investigation of Tuberculosis and Infections Caused by Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM)

In recent years, the fight against tuberculosis has been complicated by the rise and spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB).

Rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment of M/XDR-TB are crucial in preventing significant morbidity, mortality, and further disease transmission. For the treatment of uncomplicated MDR-TB, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently approved a 6-9 month treatment regimen, replacing the conventional 18-24 month regimens. Fluoroquinolones (FQ) are key components of the new 6-9 month regimen, which includes bedaquiline. Therefore, it is essential to exclude resistance to these compounds before initiating treatment with the shorter regimen.

The treatment of tuberculosis typically involves taking antibiotics for six months to several years, depending on the drug resistance of the strain, and monitoring is crucial during this period to prevent treatment inefficacy. In Ukraine, the healthcare system has shifted from inpatient to outpatient care over the past three years, resulting in a reduced number of hospitals where TB patients can undergo specialized diagnostics and treatment. This means that either patients must travel to specialized laboratories/medical centers for monitoring, or samples taken from patients are sent to these same locations for treatment monitoring. Additionally, Ukrainians are highly mobile, with a significant portion of the population being internally displaced or living abroad.

One of the objectives of the scientific activities of the researchers from the Karazin School of Phthisiology and Pulmonology is to develop and implement state-of-the-art technologies for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of the effectiveness of mycobacterial infections caused by tuberculosis (M.tuberculosis, M.bovis, M.africanum, and their variants) and nontuberculous mycobacteria (MAC – M.avium complex, M.intracellulare, M.malmoensae, M.abscessus, M.chimerae, etc.).

The possibility of home testing for treatment monitoring will allow patients to maintain a normal lifestyle and keep their jobs during treatment.

On the other hand, infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) represent a relatively new direction in Ukraine that requires the involvement of interdisciplinary teams of specialists (pulmonologists, phthisiologists, infectious disease specialists, bacteriologists - molecular geneticists, etc.).

Researchers actively collaborate with the tuberculosis service of the Kharkiv region, are members of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), TBNET (a society of specialists studying tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria), the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), and attend and present at annual congresses and conferences.

Contact person

Olga Konstantynovska
Phone: +380 (50) 924-40-76
Email: o.konstantynovska@karazin.ua