Molecular detection, identification and drug resistance detection in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

This minireview presents recent developments in molecular methods for the diagnosis of tuberculosis, including detection, identification and determination of drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis remains one of the major causes of global death from a single infectious agent. This situation is worsened by the HIV/AIDS pandemic because one-third of HIV/AIDS patients are coinfected with M. tuberculosis. Also of great concern is the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis because there are almost no treatment options available for patients affected by highly resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. Advances in molecular biology techniques and a better knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance have provided new tools for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis. Several nucleic acid amplification technologies have been developed and evaluated. New molecular approaches are being introduced continuously. This minireview will also comment on the future perspectives for the molecular diagnosis of tuberculosis and the feasibility for the implementation of these newer techniques in the clinical diagnostic laboratory.