Document 0166
 DOCN  M9610166
 TI    [Bacteriological diagnosis of tuberculosis: current hieratic
       classification of methods]
 DT    9601
 AU    Carbonnelle B; Carpentier E; Laboratoire de bacteriologie-virologie, CHU
       d'Angers, France.
 SO    Rev Med Interne. 1995;16(7):518-23. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96008889
 AB    To assure the diagnosis of tuberculosis, one needs the observation, the
       isolation and the identification of the causative agent Mycobacterium
       tuberculosis. In this approach, the microscopic exam occurs as a fast
       but neither sensitive or specific test. The isolation on solid media is
       slow and needs more than three weeks before becoming positive.
       Nevertheless, it is a sensitive and specific one. The identification of
       the isolated strain and the study of sensitivity to antibiotic agents
       require an equal delay. Then, 2 months are necessary to achieve the
       analysis. The AIDS epidemic with the increase of opportunistic
       mycobacterial diseases, and the unexpected arrival of resistant
       Mycobacteria is creating as a difficult therapeutic problem. The
       cultivation in liquid media with the radiometric method (Bactec)
       shortens the time of culture by half. The genomic amplification assay
       has been hopeful because it allowed results in 2 days. However, some
       technical difficulties happen when the test is conducted and it is less
       sensitive than the isolation process. The hierarchical classification of
       the laboratory useful process to establish the diagnosis of tuberculosis
       disease remains the microscopic observation of the bacilli and their
       isolation. Today, the use of PCR alone does not assure the diagnosis of
       tuberculosis, however it may be used as a additional diagnostic test.
 DE    AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*DIAGNOSIS  Bacteriological
       Techniques/*CLASSIFICATION  English Abstract  Female  Human  Male
       Mycobacterium tuberculosis/ISOLATION & PURIF  Polymerase Chain Reaction
       Tuberculosis/*DIAGNOSIS/ETIOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE  REVIEW
       REVIEW, TUTORIAL

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).