[Rapid identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from broth cultures by immunochromatographic assay].

BACKGROUND

Recently, a simple and rapid commercial assay (BD MGIT TBc ID) has been developed using a monoclonal antibody anti-MPT64 for the differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from other mycobacteria by immunochromatography.

METHODS

We evaluate in this work the clinical usefulness of the test for the identification of 51 strains of M. tuberculosis complex and 24 strains of other mycobacteria belonging to 14 different species, compared with the method of hybridization with DNA probes.

RESULTS

Immunochromatographic method performance was excellent, with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 98, 100, 96.1, and 98.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that immunochromatographic assay can be safely used for rapid identification of M. tuberculosis complex in combination with culture in liquid media. The test is extremely simple, provides results in just 15 minutes, requires no complex equipment or specialized personnel and may be a good alternative to molecular methods, especially in small laboratories.