Questionable Reliability of the Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Abstract

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.