[The new tools of microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis]

Rev Med Interne. 2014 Dec;35(12):794-800. doi: 10.1016/j.revmed.2014.05.001. Epub 2014 Aug 8.
[Article in French]

Abstract

This review focuses on the role of new tools in the "modern" microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis. Traditional techniques of microscopy and culture remain essential to diagnostic certainty, but some innovations replace daily the older techniques such as the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by immunochromatography or mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF type from positive cultures, or susceptibility testing in liquid medium. New tools that use molecular techniques have become important. They all have in common to optimize the fight against tuberculosis by reducing diagnostic delay. They also allow rapid detection of drug resistance. However, the techniques of gene amplification directly from clinical samples are still less sensitive than culture. Bacteriological diagnosis of tuberculosis disease therefore still relies on the complementarities of different phenotypic and molecular techniques.

Keywords: Diagnostic biologique; Laboratory diagnosis; Molecular techniques; Techniques moléculaires; Tuberculose; Tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use
  • Chromatography, Affinity
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma Release Tests
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Microscopy
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification*
  • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques
  • Phenotype
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tuberculosis / diagnosis*

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • DNA, Bacterial