[Use of Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from patient materials]

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct culture were applied for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in samples obtained from patients with suspicion of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. In the reaction of amplification IS6110 was applied as a target region, and PCR reaction products were of the size of 123 bp and 317 bp. A total of 278 samples (158 sputum, 36 urine, 25 pleural effusion, 23 bronchial washings, 8 blood, 4 stomach washings, 3 cerebrospinal fluid, 2 fragments of skin, 2 pleural effusion, and 17 others samples) from 181 patients were tested. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex was detected by PCR in 144 out of 278 samples and by culture in 68 of 278 samples. The PCR test enabled a rapid and sensitive diagnosis particularly in a number of samples which were negative on culture.