RAPID DIAGNOSIS AND IDENTIFICATION OF MYCOBACTERIA TUBERCULOSIS BY POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION AND ELISA

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a disease of worldwide importance. In constitutes a major cause of morbidity and mortality particularly m developing countries. The necessity for rapid diagnosis has been underscored by the increasing frequency of isolation of multidrug-resistant causative strains.

The ann of the study was to evaluate the polymerase chain reaction technique in diagnosis of respiratory infection with M tuberculosis versus conventional culture and Ziehl Neelsen stain, and the value oflgG A60 level in the serological diagnosis ofpulmonary tuberculosis as assayed by ELISA.

The study was carried out on 85 patients that were divided into two groups: active group who were clinically diagnosed to have tuberculosis and gave positive culture results and they were 34 patients (40%). The second group was the suspected patients who were clinically suspected to have tuberculosis but had negative culture results and they were 51 patients (60%). All sputum specimens were stained by Z.N. and cultured on L.J. medium which considered as the "gold standard" to which other tests were compared with, and all specimen were amplified by PCR using Mtuberuclosis specific primers with IS 6110 gene. The serum of 79 patients (out of 85) and of 11 healthy control subjects were tested for IgG levels against the A60 mycobacterial antigen.