Molecular Bacterial Load Assay Concurs with Culture on NaOH-Induced Loss of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Viability

Abstract

Effective methods to detect viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis , the main causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), are urgently needed. To date, cultivation of M. tuberculosis is the gold standard, which depends on initial sample processing with N -acetyl- l -cysteine–sodium hydroxide (NALC-NaOH), chemicals that compromise M. tuberculosis viability and, consequently, the performance of downstream tests.