title: Multicentre evaluation of a biphasic culture system for recovery of mycobacteria from clinical specimens.
abstract: A new biphasic system (MB Check, Roche) for isolation of mycobacteria from clinical specimens was evaluated by eight different microbiological laboratories in comparison with methods routinely used in the respective laboratories. Altogether 1125 clinical specimens were processed; pretreatment, if performed, was by a variety of methods. Mycobacteria were recovered from 167 specimens with the biphasic system and 165 specimens with the other methods. The average time required for isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was 22.6 days with the biphasic system and 24.7 days with egg-based media; for other mycobacterial species it was 23.5 versus 20.8 days. The inclusion of a chocolate agar section in the biphasic system facilitated the early detection of contaminants, while the NAP-containing section appeared unable to differentiate Mycobacterium tuberculosis from other mycobacterial species. The biphasic system, which enables recovery of mycobacteria in small laboratories without specialized equipment, is more practical than conventional methods and at least as sensitive.
authors.affiliation: Bacteriological and Virological Laboratory, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tortoli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mandler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartolucci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goglio
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Innocenti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lacchini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marchesani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Passerini Tosi
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000652:urine; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*