title: [Distribution of PRA patterns of clinical isolates of the Mycobacterium avium complex from Spain and South America].
abstract: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections are the most frequent systemic infections associated with advanced AIDS. DNA probes for accurate identification of mycobacteria are available but are very expensive in many Latin American settings. Consequently, most Latin American diagnostic laboratories employ inaccurate and outdated tests for mycobacteria identification. Therefore, PCR restriction analysis (PRA) of the hsp65 gene was evaluated for the identification of 163 MAC human isolates originated from Spain and South America. The predominant PRA type in each country was: M. avium type I in Argentina (23/42, 55%) and Brazil (48/72, 67%), M. avium type II in Spain (18/26, 69%) and M. avium type III in Colombia (10/23, 43%). The Colombia frequency is noteworthy, since the PRA type III was quite infrequent in the other three countries. Furthermore, its presence has not been reported outside the Americas. The advantages and disadvantages of PRA in diagnostic mycobacteriology are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Martha Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Murcia
authors.forename: Sylvia Cardoso
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Leao
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ritacco
authors.forename: Elia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palenque
authors.forename: Rosangela Siqueira
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reniero
authors.forename: Maria Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Menendez
authors.forename: María Alice da Silva
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Telles
authors.forename: David Jamil
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hadad
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: García
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D013020:South America; D013030:Spain