Evolution of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Diagnostics: From Classic Methods to High-Resolution Molecular Platforms:A Literature Review

Abstract

Despite the availability of effective therapies, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most challenging infectious diseases around the world. Accurate and early laboratory analysis was fundamental for sickness, treatment initiation and prevention of transmission to other peoples. The evaluation highlights detect of diagnostic strategies for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) that integrate traditional, molecular, immunologic and superior techniques. Conventional methods, including acid-fast bacilli (AFB) by microscope and growth on Lowenstein–Jensen or Middle brook media, remain the cornerstone for confirmation and drug susceptibility testing, even though they may be time-consuming. The advanced and automated liquid culture systems like BACTEC MGIT 960 have markedly decreased detection time while keeping excessive sensitivity and specificity. By enabling rapid detection of MTB and rifampicin or multidrug resistance within hours, the molecular tests such as Expert MTB/RIF, Expert Ultra, True Nat MTB, line probe assays and polymerase chain reaction - based technologies offer more accurate methods and have transformed TB diagnosis.  Histopathology and cytology remain important for extra pulmonary TB cases, although immunological diagnostics such as interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) and T-spot methods that associated with the identification of latent TB infection.  Although their routine use was still hindered by infrastructure and expense, emerging technologies such as whole genome sequencing (WGS), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and nano pore sequencing provide high-resolution data for strain typing of MTB and drug resistance profiling.
Keywords:    TB, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, PCR, AFB, IGRAs, DST
Citation:    Talib AL, Rashid RY. Evolution of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis diagnostics: From classic methods to high-resolution molecular platforms: A literature review. Iraqi JMS. 2025; 23(2): 384-392. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.23.2.21