Rapid and inexpensive detection of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the nitrate reductase assay using liquid medium and direct application to sputum samples.
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.
Affolabi
Dissou
D
Laboratoire de Référence des Mycobactéries, 01 BP 817 Cotonou, Bénin. affolabi_dissou@yahoo.fr
Odoun
Mathieu
M
Sanoussi
N'Dira
N
Martin
Anandi
A
Palomino
Juan Carlos
JC
Kestens
Luc
L
Anagonou
Séverin
S
Portaels
Françoise
F