title: Evaluation of conventional molecular diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical specimens from Morocco.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tuberculosis is a major public health threat, annually affecting new individuals worldwide, especially those in developing countries. Rapid detection of the agent and effective treatment are two important factors in controlling this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study aimed to evaluate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a rapid and direct molecular method for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in 70 clinical specimens (62 sputum samples, six cerebrospinal fluids, and two biopsies) using heat shock protein (hsp65) as the gene target. Automated sequencing of the same gene was used for the identification of MTB to the species level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity of PCR was 81.13%, with specificity of 88.24%; the positive and negative predictive values were 95.56% and 60%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these results, the hsp65 gene sequence can be used to differentiate the members of MTB complex from non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM).
authors.affiliation: Institut National d'Hygiène, Rabat, Morocco. fathiah_zakham@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Fathiah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zakham
authors.forename: Halima
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bazoui
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akrim
authors.forename: Sanae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lemrabet
authors.forename: Ouafae
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lahlou
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elmzibri
authors.forename: Abdelaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benjouad
authors.forename: My Mustapha
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ennaji
authors.forename: Rajae
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elaouad
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009018:Morocco; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; C074119:heat-shock protein 65, Mycobacterium