New technologies for the diagnosis of drug-resistant tuberculosis

Widespread drug-resistant tuberculosis is a global challenge that has a potential to have a negative impact on the global TB situation. Rapid TB diagnosis and early initiation of effective treatment based on the individualized chemotherapy regimens underpin efforts in prevention of further spread of tuberculosis. Microbiological methods of TB diagnosis that provide evidence of the TB process etiology and identify drug susceptibility of the pathogen play a very important role. The review covers the current and emerging methods of the microbiological TB diagnosis including conventional microbiological (microscopy of diagnostic material, cultural studies on solid media and culture fluids) and modern molecular genetic tests (DNA strips, biological microchips, multiplex PCR, GeneXpert and diagnostic systems of the new generation and point-of-care tests) and demonstrates the role of the described methods in the diagnostic TB laboratory algorithm. The example of the Microbiology Department of the Central TB Research Institute illustrates the effectiveness of modern developments in the diagnosis of drug-resistant tuberculosis and their impact on improving treatment success in the clinical departments of the CTRI. The review presents further prospects of drug-resistant TB diagnosis in relation to the new technologies such as Next Generation Sequencing. The conclusion summarizes information on the current state of microbiological diagnosis of drug-resistant tuberculosis and emphasizes the importance of developing and introducing new technologies into the diagnostic process.