Comparison between the conventional method and molecular line probe assay for identification and drug sensitivity of mycobacteria tuberculosis from clinical specimens

Abstract

Rapid susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains is imperative for therapy selection but traditional drug susceptibility tests take weeks or are expensive. Classical drug susceptibility (DST) may take up to 2 to 4 months. The line probe assay is a commercially available line-probe assay that rapidly detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex, as well as the most common mutations associated with rifampicin and isoniazid. In this study we assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the rapid molecular method in comparison with the conventional method.