title: Assessment of use of the COBAS AMPLICOR system with BACTEC 12B cultures for rapid detection of frequently identified mycobacteria.
abstract: The use of the COBAS AMPLICOR System (Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland), the only automated system for PCR testing, was evaluated for a rapid identification of mycobacteria with positive BACTEC 12B cultures. Two hundred ninety-six specimens with a growth index of >/=30 were analyzed for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, Mycobacterium avium, and Mycobacterium intracellulare. Compared to traditional methods and provided that samples with PCR inhibition are retested at a 1:10 dilution, the sensitivity and specificity of the COBAS AMPLICOR System with BACTEC 12B cultures were 100 and 98%, respectively. The COBAS AMPLICOR method is rapid and reliable for identifying the most common mycobacteria in cultures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire, CH 1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Beatrice.Ninet@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ninet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rohner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metral
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Auckenthaler
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000175:diagnosis; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D013557:Switzerland; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis