Radiometric studies on the use of selective inhibitors in the identification of Mycobacterium spp.

Radiometric selective inhibition tests were developed and evaluated for the rapid differentiation of Mycobacterium spp. Both a p-nitrobenzoic acid (PNB) test and a commercially-prepared p-nitro-α-acetylamino-β-hydroxypropiophenone (NAP) test successfully differentiated M. tuberculosis and M. bovis from ‘atypical’ mycobacteria or mycobacteria other than tubercle bacilli (MOTT). Thiophene-2-carboxylic acid hydrazide (TCH) readily distinguished human M. tuberculosis strains from M. bovis, irrespective of resistance to isoniazid. Both PNB and TCH tests were utilised in a routine radiometric susceptibility testing scheme over a period of 1 year in which 110 isolates of M. tuberculosis, 10 of M. bovis and one isolate of BCG were correctly differentiated from 10 isolates of MOTT. The rapidity, sensitivity and specificity of these radiometric tests can play a useful role in mycobacterial identification.