title: Evaluation of a commercial DNA probe assay for the identification of Mycobacterium kansasii.
abstract: A commercially available DNA probe (the AccuProbe Mycobacterium kansasii culture identification test, Gen-Probe, USA) for the identification of Mycobacterium kansasii was tested on a panel of 143 fully characterized mycobacterial strains. The isolates included 70 Mycobacterium kansasii and 73 mycobacteria other than kansasii. The specificity was 100% while the sensitivity was 72.8%. This sensitivity is unusually low in comparison with that of commercial DNA probes for other mycobacteria and confirms a previous study that found genetic heterogeneity within the species Mycobacterium kansasii. Strains that do not hybridize with the AccuProbe are particularly prevalent in Italy and perhaps elsewhere in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Microbiological and Virological Laboratory, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tortoli
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lacchini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Penati
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piersimoni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Morbiducci
mesh_terms: D015342:DNA Probes; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes