USE OF FLUORESCEIN-LABELED ANTIBODY AND FLUORESCENCE-ACTIVATED CELL SORTER FOR RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF MYCOBACTERIUM SPECIES

A fluorescein labelled antibody (Ab)/Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorte r (FACS)-based assay was developed for detection of a wide range of my cobacterial species directly from bacterial culture and sputum specime ns. The whole process could be completed within 3 hours and had a high specificity and sensitivity for cultured bacteria. The method was als o shown to be applicable for direct identification from clinical speci mens. This study showed that pretesting of clinical specimens for myco bacteria to the genus level with an antibody to Mycobacterium species offers the routine clinical laboratory a single convenient test for th e detection of tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacteria. Depending on the availability of species-specific antibody, the identification o f Mycobacterium to the species level can be achieved. (C) 1998 Academi c Press.