[Molecular identification of non-tuberculous mycobacteria].
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.
Castro
Claudia Marcela
CM
Grupo de Micobacterias, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, DC, Colombia.
Puerto
Gloria
G
García
Luz Mary
LM
Orjuela
Dora Leticia
DL
Polo
Claudia Llerena
CL
Garzón
María Consuelo
MC
Ribón
Wellman
W
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