Rapid Identification Of Common Pathogenic Mycobacteria Using Microarray Technology

0bjective: To develop a simple,rapid,sensitive and specific method for identification of most Mycobacterial species by microarray technology,and to provide a thereunder for the correct diagnosis of mycobacterium disease.Methods: DNA sequencing was used as the contro1, the target DNA fragment of 20 Mycobacterium reference strains and 486 clinical isolates were analyzed by Microarray technology.Results: The reference strains of 20 Mycobacteria were analyzed by Microarray technology, the result show that Microarray technology was specific. Of 486 Mycobacterial clinical isolates, 358 strains were positive hybridization with mycobacterium genus probe IC and MTC specific probe,were identified as MTC. 128 strains were identified as NTM, and their species were identified with DNA chips as follows: 47 isolates of M. chelonae-M. abscessus complex (M. chelonae group), 32 isolates of M. intracellulare, 15 isolates of M. avium, 11 isolates of M. kansasii, 4 isolates of M. fortuitum, 4 isolates of M. smegmatis, 4 isolates of M. marinum or M. ulcerans, 3 isolates of M. szulgai or M. malmoense,2 isolates of M. gordonae, 2 isolates of M. terrae, 1 isolates of M. scrofulaceum, 1 isolates of M. nonchromogenicum.2 strains that were only positive hybridization with probe IC. They were sequenced and showed that 1 strain was M. para- scrofulaceum, 1 strain was M. monacense. There were not specific probes for them on DNA chip.Conclusion: Microarray technology may be a molecular diagnostic technique which was accurate and with high of efficacy for rapid identification of most mycobacterial species.