Differential diagnosis of disseminated Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in HIV patients using duplex PCR

Disseminated complex (MAC) and infections have almost similar clinical presentations but require different therapeutic management. A duplex PCR was designed based on the sequence variation between the genes encoding catalase-peroxidase (KatG) of complex and , so as to discriminate MAC, and mixed mycobacterial (MAC + ) infections in HIV patients. An accurate, single-step differential diagnosis of disseminated mycobacterial infections in HIV patients was achieved with specific detection of a single band each for (120 bp) and (90 bp) and two bands for the mixed (120 and 90 bp) infections. gene-based duplex PCR can facilitate quick differential diagnosis of disseminated MAC and infections in HIV patients.