To improve multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) detection, we successfully introduced the rpoB gene mutation line probe assay into the national laboratory in Latvia, a country with epidemic MDR-TB. The assay detected rifampin resistance with 91% sensitivity and 96% specificity within 1 to 5 days (vs. 12-47 days for BACTEC).

An observational study assessed the longitudinal use of a new line probe assay for the detection of protease mutations. Probe assays for detection of reverse transcriptase (Inno-LiPA HIV-1 RT; Innogenetics) and protease (prototype kit Inno-LiPA HIV Protease; Innogenetics) mutations gave results for 177 of 199 sequential samples collected over 2 years from 26 patients failing two nucleoside reve...