title: Use of the Gen-Probe amplified mycobacterium tuberculosis direct test for early detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in BACTEC 12B medium.
abstract: To achieve better sensitivity than direct testing and better turnaround time than current culture and identification methods, the Gen-Probe Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Direct method was used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in BACTEC 12B medium cultures when they first gave a growth index (GI) of at least 10 (MTD/BACTEC method). Of 179 acid-fast, smear-positive specimens that were culture positive for M. tuberculosis, all were positive by the MTD/BACTEC method (sensitivity, 100%). Positive results were obtained only with tuberculosis patients. For diagnostic specimens from untreated patients, the mean time to achieve a GI of 10 was 6 days.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Diseases Laboratory, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Health Services, 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA. edesmond@dhs.ca.gov
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Desmond
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Loretz
mesh_terms: D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic