[Laboratory diagnosis of mycobacterial infections]

Each year, tuberculosis claims nearly 2 million lives, especially in developing countries. Laboratory diagnosis of mycobacteria remains to be based on conventional approaches such as staining, culture and proportional methods for testing drug susceptibility. In recent years, new molecular methods have been proposed for mycobacterial diagnosis. Whereas the conventional methods for identification and detecting drug resistance are lengthy and cumbersome, the new assays are rapid, highly sensitive and specific and may be used for detecting resistance to antituberculosis drugs. The review describes the possibilities of laboratory diagnosis including rapid detection of mycobacteria directly from clinical specimens. For detecting latent tuberculosis, the determination of interferon gamma is important.