title: Diagnosis of mycobacterial infections based on acid-fast bacilli test and bacterial growth time and implications on treatment and disease outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The establishment of therapeutic regimens for mycobacteriosis depends on the accurate identification of Mycobacterium species, and misdiagnosis can result in inappropriate treatment and increased mortality of patients. Differential diagnosis among Mycobacterium species has been made by conventional phenotypic and biochemical tests after a long culture period. Specialized molecular diagnostics of mycobacteria allows rapid detection and species identification; however, such tests are not available in public health programs. Our aim was to demonstrate the clinical implications of erroneous diagnosis by performing molecular genotyping of mycobacterial infections in patients that were diagnosed based on symptoms, culture and bacilloscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Culture samples of mycobacterial infections from 55 patients clinically diagnosed as tuberculosis in 2013 and 2014, based on conventional methods, were identified by PCR -RFLP and results are discussed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have confirmed 35 (63.6%) positive samples as M. tuberculosis, but 18 (32.7%) were identified as non-tuberculous mycobacteria (M. avium type 1, M. avium type 2, M. kansasii type 1 type 1, M. mucogenicum, M. chelonae, M. terrae type 3, and 1 unknown RFLP pattern) and two were negative. Regarding clinical diagnosis, 61.8% (34/55) was classified as pulmonary tuberculosis. It is important to emphasize that 36.4% (20/55) of samples were misdiagnosed by conventional methods, and 11 (61.1%) of the HIV positive patients (18/55) were NTM-coinfected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The identification of species in mycobacterial infections is essential for correct diagnosis and choice of treatment regimen, and misdiagnosis by conventional tools can lead to chronic disease, increased resistance and death.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy (CREDESH) Clinical Hospital Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiane N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Riello
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy (CREDESH) Clinical Hospital Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rebecca T S
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Brígido
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy (CREDESH) Clinical Hospital Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Clinics' Hospital of the Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tomaz A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Uberlandia, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Campus Umuarama, Block 2E, Room 248, CEP 38400-902, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. lrgoulart@ufu.br.
authors.forename: Luiz Ricardo
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Goulart
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy (CREDESH) Clinical Hospital Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabela M B
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Goulart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Molecular Diagnosis; Mycobacteria; PCR-RFLP