E-test: an alternative method for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the agar proportion method with the E-test method for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.


METHODS
A total of 100 isolates were tested for isoniazid, rifampin, streptomycin and ethambutol susceptibility using an indirect-proportion method as well as the E-test method.


RESULTS
Categorical agreement between the methods was 100% for isoniazid, rifampin, streptomycin, and ethambutol.


CONCLUSIONS
The E-test method appears to be an alternative method to agar proportion for testing the susceptibility of M. tuberculosis isolates to the first-line antituberculous agents.
Akcali
Sinem
S
Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Celal Bayar University Medical Faculty, Manisa, Turkey. akcali@deu.net.tr
Cicek
Candan
C
Surucuoglu
Suheyla
S
Ozbakkaloglu
Beril
B
D000362:Agar; D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular; D004977:Ethambutol; D000362:Agar; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin; D013307:Streptomycin