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Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and non-tuberculous mycobacteria by multiplex polymerase chain
A S Mustafa1, A T Abal, T D Chugh
1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
Abstract:
The ability of two-band and three-band multiplex polymerase chain reactions to detect and differentiate Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from non-tuberculous mycobacteria was evaluated. The polymerase chain reactions differentiated between M. tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria when standard strains and clinical isolates of mycobacteria were tested. The sensitivity of the two-band and three-band techniques to detect M. tuberculosis in clinical specimens, compared with smear and/or culture, was 88% and 75% respectively. Although both techniques showed 100% specificity, the superior sensitivity of the two-band technique suggests that it could be more useful in the diagnosis of tuberculosis and in differentiating M. tuberculosis complex from non-tuberculous mycobacteria.