AUTHOR=Castro-Rodriguez Bernardo , Franco-Sotomayor Greta , Rodriguez-Pazmiño Ángel Sebastián , Cardenas-Franco Greta Esther , Orlando Solón Alberto , Hermoso de Mendoza Javier , Parra-Vera Henry , García-Bereguiain Miguel Ángel TITLE=Rapid and accurate identification and differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria using PCR kits available in a high-burden setting JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health VOLUME=12 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1358261 DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1358261 ISSN=2296-2565 ABSTRACT=

Infections caused by mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), are a major public health issue worldwide. An accurate diagnosis of mycobacterial species is a challenge for surveillance and treatment, particularly in high-burden settings usually associated with low- and middle-income countries. In this study, we analyzed the clinical performance of two commercial PCR kits designed for the identification and differentiation of MTBC and NTM, available in a high-burden setting such as Ecuador. A total of 109 mycobacteria isolates were included in the study, 59 of which were previously characterized as M. tuberculosis and the other 59 as NTM. Both kits displayed great clinical performance for the identification of M. tuberculosis, with 100% sensitivity. On the other hand, for NTM, one of the kits displayed a good clinical performance with a sensitivity of 94.9% (CI 95%: 89–100%), while the second kit had a reduced sensitivity of 77.1% (CI 95%: 65–89%). In conclusion, one of the kits is a fast and reliable tool for the identification and discrimination of MTBC and NTM from clinical isolates.