title: Comparison of a DNA Based PCR Approach with Conventional Methods for the Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Morocco.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem and the rapid diagnosis and appropriate chemotherapy become the first priority and a serious challenge to improve TB treatment. In the objective of early TB diagnosis and rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in the clinical specimens, the utility of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using the Insertion Sequence 6110 "IS6110" as target was compared to conventional methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 305 patients with different clinical manifestations: suspected, new, drug relapse, drug failure and chronic cases were enrolled in this study and tested by mycobacteriological and PCR techniques for the investigation about the tubercle bacilli.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the in house "IS6110" PCR showed a good sensitivity (92.4%) and high specificity (98.0%), the positive and negative predictive values were 96.4 % and 95.3 % respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed clearly that the PCR testing using the "IS6110" in the routine analysis is a potential tool for the rapid TB diagnosis, especially for critical cases and would be of great interest to help the clinician in the misdiagnosed critical cases by the traditional radiology.
authors.affiliation: Institut National d'Hygiène, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Fathiah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zakham
authors.forename: Oufae
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lahlou
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akrim
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bouklata
authors.forename: Sanae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaouhari
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sadki
authors.forename: Fouad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Seghrouchni
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elmzibri
authors.forename: Abdelaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benjouad
authors.forename: Mustapha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ennaji
authors.forename: Rajae
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elaouad