title: Rapid and inexpensive detection of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the nitrate reductase assay using liquid medium and direct application to sputum samples.
abstract: For rapid and low-cost detection of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we applied the nitrate reductase assay (NRA) using a liquid medium directly to sputum samples. A total of 179 sputum samples were analyzed by the NRA, and results were compared to those obtained by the indirect proportion method (IPM) as a standard reference. Out of 144 specimens for which comparable results were available, only one discrepant result was obtained: MDR by NRA but susceptible by the IPM. In total 56% of the results were obtained in 10 days by the NRA. NRA performed in liquid medium is rapid and inexpensive and can be easily implemented in low-income countries.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Référence des Mycobactéries, 01 BP 817 Cotonou, Bénin. affolabi_dissou@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Dissou
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Affolabi
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Odoun
authors.forename: N'Dira
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sanoussi
authors.forename: Anandi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Palomino
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kestens
authors.forename: Séverin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anagonou
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Portaels