Specificity of IS6110-based amplification assays for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

We have demonstrated homology between DNA from mycobacteria other than tuberculosis strains (MOTT) and a central region of IS6110 and have urged caution in using diagnostic tests based on this target. Hellyer and colleagues have evaluated three IS6110-based amplification methods: HincII strand displacement amplification (SDA), thermophilic SDA, and a previously described PCR and have observed no cross-reaction with 27 nontuberculosis mycobacteria, 26 of which had been used previously in our study. They conclude that these data support the use of selected regions of IS6110 as Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex-specific targets.