title: Comparison of manual mycobacteria growth indicator tube and epsilometer test with agar proportion method for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antimycobacterial susceptibility tests take weeks, and delayed therapy can lead to spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Therefore, rapid, accurate and cost-effective methods are required for proper therapy selection. In this study, the Mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) and epsilometer test (Etest) methods were compared to the agar proportion method for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The susceptibility tests against isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), streptomycin (STM) and ethambutol (ETM) of 51 M. tuberculosis complex isolates were analyzed by the MGIT, Etest and agar proportion methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concordance between MGIT/Etest and agar proportion methods was 98% for INH and 100% for RIF, STM, ETM. There were not statistically significant differences in results of the susceptibility tests between MGIT/Etest and the reference agar proportion method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results have shown that MGIT and Etest methods can be used instead of the agar proportion method, because these two methods are more rapid and easier than the agar proportion method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Mental Health Hospital, 23000 Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karabulut
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bayraktar
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bulut
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents