Development and clinical evaluation of a new multiplex PCR assay for a simultaneous diagnosis of tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacteria

Yeya dit Sadio Sarro, Matthew A. Butzler, Fanta Sanogo, Ousmane Kodio, Mohamed Tolofoudie, Mariam S. Goumane, Bocar Baya, Seydou Diabate, Ibrahim Boubacar Diallo, Djakaridja Daniogo, Bindongo PP Dembele, Issiaka Camara, Alisha Kumar, Etienne Dembele, Bourahima Kone, Chad J. Achenbach, Grant Theron, Khadidia Ouattara, Yacouba Toloba, Bassirou DiarraSeydou Doumbia, Babafemi Taiwo, Jane L. Holl, Robert L. Murphy, Souleymane Diallo, Sally M. McFall*, Mamoudou Maiga

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been increasing worldwide in both developed and developing countries. NTM infection is clinically indistinguishable from tuberculosis and therefore poses significant challenges in patient management, especially in patients chronically treated for pulmonary TB. In this study, we evaluated a new highly sensitive Multiplex MTB/NTM assay that can differentiate M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) from all NTM, including the treatable and most common NTM, M. avium complex (MAC). Methods: We developed and optimized a new open- Multiplex MTB/NTM assay with two gene-targets for MTBC (IS6110/senX3-regX3) and two targets for MAC (IS1311/DT1) with samples spiked with stored strains and testing 20 replicates. Patients with presumptive TB and NTM were enrolled at the Respiratory Disease Department of The University Teaching Hospital of Point G, in Mali. Findings: In the development stage, the new assay showed a high analytic performance with 100% detections of MTBC and MAC at only 5 colony forming units (CFUs). Overall, without the treatment failure cases, the Multiplex assay and the Xpert showed a sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 83·3% [66·4-92·6], 96·6% [88·6-99·0], 92·5% [82·3-96·5] and 92·2% [82·7-96·5] and the Xpert had values of 96·7% [83·3-99·4], 80·0% [68·2-88·1], 70·7 [55·5-82·3] and 97·9% [89·3-99·6], respectively. The Multiplex assay successfully detected all (5/5) the MAC cases. Interpretation: Our new Multiplex assay demonstrates better specificity than Xpert for all group studied, in addition to detecting potential NTM cases. The assay could therefore complement the widely used Xpert assay and enhance discrimination of TB and NTM infections. Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R03AI137674, U54EB027049, D43TW010350 and UM1AI069471) and Northwestern University's Institute for Global Health Catalyzer Fund.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number103527
JournalEBioMedicine
Volume70
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2021

Keywords

  • Nontuberculous mycobacteria
  • Simultaneous diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)

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