title: A PCR-colorimetric microwell plate hybridization assay for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. avium from culture samples and Ziehl-Neelsen-positive smears.
abstract: Differentiation between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. avium is essential for the treatment of mycobacterial infections. We have developed an easy and rapid detection assay for the diagnosis of mycobacterial diseases. This is a PCR-hybridization assay based on selective amplification of a 16S rRNA gene sequence using pan-Mycobacterium primers followed by hybridization of the amplification products to biotinylated M. tuberculosis and M. avium-specific probes. A total of 55 mycobacterial isolates were tested. For all isolates, results concordant with those of conventional identification methods were obtained. Moreover, we developed a method for extraction of DNA from Ziehl-Neelsen-positive smears which allows the recovery of intact target DNA in our PCR-hybridization assay. Our method was able to confirm all culture results for 59 Ziehl-Neelsen-positive smears from clinical specimens (35 sputum, 11 lymph node biopsy, 6 stool, 4 pus, 2 urine, and 1 pericardial fluid specimens). These data suggest that our PCR-hybridization assay, which is simple to perform and less expensive than commercial probe methods, may be suitable for the identification of M. tuberculosis and M. avium. It could become a valuable alternative approach for the diagnosis of mycobacterial infections when applied directly to DNA extracted from Ziehl-Neelsen-positive smears as well.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Luigi Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gori
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zehender
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Maddalena
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Catozzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bandera
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Esposti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franzetti
mesh_terms: D003124:Colorimetry / Q000379:methods; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013492:Suppuration / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S