Use of an immunochromatographic assay for rapid identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex clinical isolates in routine diagnosis.

Accurate identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates is essential for tuberculosis (TB) control, especially in a high-burden country such as Brazil. Conventional identification methods are laborious and time-consuming, while rapid molecular methods are expensive and require skilled personnel and appropriate physical laboratory infrastructure. Immunochromatographic assays (ICAs) have been shown to provide a rapid and reliable TB diagnosis at a low cost. The use of the SD Bioline TB Ag MPT64 ICA (MPT64 assay) for rapid identification of MTBC clinical isolates in the routine diagnosis of a large-volume reference TB laboratory was evaluated. We analysed 375 isolates on solid and liquid media concurrently with conventional phenotypic methods, the PRA-hsp65 molecular technique and the MPT64 assay. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the ICA were 97.7, 100 and 98.1 %, respectively. The MPT64 assay yielded rapid and accurate results, enabling the treatment to be initiated early and also impacting on TB control.

Rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by real-time PCR in sputum samples and its use in the routine diagnosis in a reference laboratory.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease of global distribution, constituting a serious public health problem in Brazil. São Paulo State, located in the south-east of Brazil, notified 16,580 new TB cases in 2013. The Instituto Adolfo Lutz is a public health reference laboratory for TB diagnosis for all the State. Considering that rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential for TB control, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of an in-house real-time (RT)-PCR assay targeting the mpt64 gene in the routine diagnosis of TB, and to compare this technique with smear microscopy and culture. From August 2012 to October 2013, 715 sputum samples from 657 patients were included in the study. Smear microscopy, culture, phenotypic and PRA-hsp65 identification of mycobacteria, and mpt64 RT-PCR were performed. With respect to confirmed TB cases (n = 62/657; 9.4%), smear microscopy had a sensitivity of 82.3%. Culture and RT-PCR showed the same sensitivity, i.e. 90.3%. Specificity was 99.7, 99.4 and 98.6% for smear microscopy, culture and RT-PCR, respectively. mpt64 RT-PCR showed high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in sputum samples. This technique can be deployed in laboratories that do not have a rapid test for TB available, enabling the performance of TB diagnosis in up to 5 h.