FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |   Search Term  Advanced Search

Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe

Previous Volume 329:2036 December 30, 1993 Number 27 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

	Full Text Purchase this article Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited Related Article PubMed Citation

To the Editor: Conventional methods of detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical samples, such as microscopy or culture, are either low in sensitivity and specificity or time-consuming. The use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been described as an alternative that allows the amplification and detection of DNA from a single bacterium in a matter of hours¹. Despite over 30 published reports on the detection of M. tuberculosis by means of PCR, little is known about the reliability and reproducibility of this test. The possible consequences for treatment are substantial.

Using a coded panel of samples containing various numbers . . . [Full Text of this Article]

References

Related Letters:

PCR and the Misdiagnosis of Active Tuberculosis
Macher A., Goosby E.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1995; 332:128-129, Jan 12, 1995. Correspondence

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Greco, S, Girardi, E, Navarra, A, Saltini, C (2006). Current evidence on diagnostic accuracy of commercially based nucleic acid amplification tests for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Thorax 61: 783-790 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zerva, L., Bourantas, K., Mitka, S., Kansouzidou, A., Legakis, N. J. (2001). Serum Is the Preferred Clinical Specimen for Diagnosis of Human Brucellosis by PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol. 39: 1661-1664 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Somoskövi, A., Magyar, P. (1999). Comparison of the Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube with MB Redox, Lowenstein-Jensen, and Middlebrook 7H11 Media for Recovery of Mycobacteria in Clinical Specimens. J. Clin. Microbiol. 37: 1366-1369 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Navarro, E., Fernandez, J. A., Escribano, J., Solera;, J., Morata, P., Queipo-Ortuño, M. I., Colmenero, J. d. D. (1999). PCR Assay for Diagnosis of Human Brucellosis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 37: 1654-1655 [Full Text]  
• Ahmed, N., Mohanty, A. K., Mukhopadhyay, U., Batish, V. K., Grover, S. (1998). PCR-Based Rapid Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Blood from Immunocompetent Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 3094-3095 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Macher, A., Goosby, E. (1995). PCR and the Misdiagnosis of Active Tuberculosis. NEJM 332: 128-129 [Full Text]