@article{mbs:/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.000726, author = "Watanabe Pinhata, Juliana Maira and Lemes, Romilda Aparecida and Simeão, Fernanda Cristina dos Santos and Souza, Andréia Rodrigues de and Chimara, Erica and Ferrazoli, Lucilaine", title = "Use of an immunochromatographic assay for rapid identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex clinical isolates in routine diagnosis", journal= "Journal of Medical Microbiology", year = "2018", volume = "67", number = "5", pages = "683-686", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.000726", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.000726", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1473-5644", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "Mycobacterium tuberculosis", keywords = "identification", keywords = "MPT64", keywords = "nontuberculous mycobacteria", keywords = "immunochromatographic assay", abstract = "Accurate identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates is essential for tuberculosis (TB) control, especially in a high-burden country such as Brazil. Conventional identification methods are laborious and time-consuming, while rapid molecular methods are expensive and require skilled personnel and appropriate physical laboratory infrastructure. Immunochromatographic assays (ICAs) have been shown to provide a rapid and reliable TB diagnosis at a low cost. The use of the SD Bioline TB Ag MPT64 ICA (MPT64 assay) for rapid identification of MTBC clinical isolates in the routine diagnosis of a large-volume reference TB laboratory was evaluated. We analysed 375 isolates on solid and liquid media concurrently with conventional phenotypic methods, the PRA-hsp65 molecular technique and the MPT64 assay. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the ICA were 97.7, 100 and 98.1 %, respectively. The MPT64 assay yielded rapid and accurate results, enabling the treatment to be initiated early and also impacting on TB control.", }