Second-Line Drug Susceptibility Testing (SL-DST) for Tuberculosis:Introduction, Principle, Procedure, Result-Interpretation, and Keynotes

Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using the BACTEC MGIT 960 system

Introduction Second-line drug susceptibility testing (SL-DST) for tuberculosis is a crucial laboratory procedure designed to detect resistance to anti-TB drugs used when first-line treatment fails (i.e., multidrug-resistant TB – MDR-TB).  Principle SL-DST measures the susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to specific agents by determining the Critical …

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Line Probe Assay (LPA) for Tuberculosis -Introduction, Principle, Test Requirements, Procedure, Result-Interpretation, and Keynotes

Introduction The Line Probe Assay (LPA) is a rapid molecular diagnostic test used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and its resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs. It identifies specific mutations in the genes associated with drug resistance by hybridizing amplified DNA onto membrane strips.  The LPA is a …

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