title: [Molecular identification of non-tuberculous mycobacteria].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nontuberculous mycobacteria can be saprophytic, pathogenic or opportunistic. The most common diseases produced by these microorganisms are the post-surgical infections due to anesthetic procedures, infections associated with catheters, disseminated cutaneous diseases and pulmonary and central nervous system diseases that especially affect HIV patients. Identification of the nontuberculous mycobacteria can take several weeks and even then, differentiation of complex members is not possible.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The PCR-restriction analysis (PRA) technique was evaluated as a method for genotypic identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated of clinical samples located in the culture collection of the Instituto Nacional de Salud (National Institute of Health), Bogotá, Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy clinical isolates of nontuberculous mycobacteria stored in 50% glycerol at -70 degrees C were identified by phenotypic techniques. The genotypic identification was made using the PCR-restriction analysis (PRA) using the restriction enzymes BstEII and HseIII, the restriction products were visualized on gels of agarose to 3%, and the concordance between the methodologies was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A matching of 100% was obtained in the identification of Mycobacterium terrae, M. szulgai, M. avium, M. chelonae and M. scrofulaceum, the matching between M. fortuitum species, M. abscessus, M. gordonae and M. intracellulare varied from 44 to 89%; there was no concurrence in the identification of species M. flavescens and M. malmoense.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PRA provided a fast, inexpensive and accurate alternative for the identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria that permited the differentiation among species of a complex and determining the subtype of each species sample.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Micobacterias, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, DC, Colombia.
authors.forename: Claudia Marcela
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puerto
authors.forename: Luz Mary
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Dora Leticia
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Orjuela
authors.forename: Claudia Llerena
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Polo
authors.forename: María Consuelo
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Garzón
authors.forename: Wellman
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ribón
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002648:Child; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length