The rise of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis has complicated therapy for tuberculosis and led us to search for a potentially active combination of drugs against these strains. The susceptibilities of 12 strains of multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis to standard antituberculous drugs (isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide), clarithromycin, and its metabolite, 14-hydroxyclarithromycin, were determined by use of the BACTEC radiometric method. All strains were resistant to at least two of the antituberculous drugs. Clarithromycin and 14-hydroxyclarithromycin MICs were in the range indicating resistance at > or = 8.0 micrograms/ml for all strains. Combination testing by the BACTEC method was performed with various concentrations of isoniazid, rifampin, and ethambutol, and with clarithromycin/14-hydroxyclarithromycin at fixed concentrations of 2.0/0.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. Addition of clarithromycin/14-hydroxyclarithromycin to these antituberculous drug mixtures resulted in a 4- to 32-fold reduction in MICs of isoniazid, rifampin, and ethambutol and made resistant strains susceptible. Fractional inhibitory concentrations ranged from 0.23 to 0.50 for all strains, suggesting a synergistic interaction between standard antituberculous drugs and clarithromycin/14-hydroxyclarithromycin. The ability of clarithromycin/14-hydroxyclarithromycin to enhance the activities of isoniazid, ethambutol, and rifampin in vitro suggests that this combination may be efficacious in the treatment of multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis infections.