Gene Mutations in Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis
Author Information
Author(s): Miriam Bobadilla-del-Valle, Alfredo Ponce-de-Leon, Catalina Arenas-Huertero, Gilberto Vargas-Alarcon, Midori Kato-Maeda, Peter M. Small, Patricia Couary, Guillermo M. Ruiz-Palacios, Jose Sifuentes-Osornio
Primary Institution: Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran
Hypothesis
The study aims to determine the sensitivity of PCR-SSCP in detecting rpoB gene mutations in rifampin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Conclusion
The PCR-SSCP method is highly specific but has poor sensitivity for detecting mutations in the rpoB gene in rifampin-resistant clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Supporting Evidence
- The sensitivity of the PCR-SSCP assay was found to be 31.4%.
- The specificity of the assay was 100%.
- All 35 rifampin-resistant isolates showed mutations by sequence analysis.
- Mutations at specific codons were associated with the level of rifampin resistance.
- False-negative results were observed in 24 out of 35 rifampin-resistant isolates.
Takeaway
Researchers looked at how well a test could find mutations in a gene related to drug resistance in tuberculosis. They found that while the test was good at confirming resistance, it often missed detecting it.
Methodology
The study analyzed 35 rifampin-resistant and 11 rifampin-susceptible strains using PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing.
Limitations
The PCR-SSCP method showed poor sensitivity, with a significant number of false-negative results.
Participant Demographics
All isolates were recovered from sputum samples of patients from Mexico City.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.001, p=0.002
Statistical Significance
p<0.005
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