Objective:To verify the expression of new gene MTB139 in clinical tuberculosis isolates

and to explore its relevance to TB drug resistance by detecting the differentially expressed MTB139 gene among clinical mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tuberculosis)isolates with various resistances. Methods:MTB139 gene expressions in 60 clinical isolates(including 9 multidrug resistant isolates

24 non-multidrug resistant isolates and 27 drug sensitive isolates) were detected by semi quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technique. Results:The expression MTB139 gene was observed in 7(11.67%)out of the 60 study isolates. Statistical analysis revealed that the difference in the expression of MTB139 among the three groups(multidrug resistant group

non-multidrug resistant group

drug sensitive group)was significant(P=0.000). The positive expression rate of MTB139 in multidrug resistant group(5 isolates

55.56%)was significantly higher than that in both non-multidrug resistant group(1 isolates

4.17%)and drug sensitive group(1 isolates

3.70%)

with statistical significances(P =0.003;P =0.002). There was no significant difference in the expression of MTB139 gene between non-multidrug resistant group and drug sensitive group(P=1.000). Conclusion:The expression rate of new gene MTB139 is high among the isolates in multidrug resistant group

and MTB139 gene may be associated with multidrug resistance of M.tuberculosis.