Ann Clin Microbiol 2025;28(4):21. Impact of nontuberculous mycobacteria on the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for the detection of tuberculosis and rifampin resistance: a diagnostic accuracy study

Table 1.Assessment of cross-reactivity in RIF resistance detection by Xpert and Xpert Ultra with NTM species at high bacterial load
NTM strain (1.0 × 106 CFU/mL equivalent)MTB (5.0 × 103 CFU/mL equivalent)Xpert result Xpert Ultra result
1st 2nd 1st 2nd
MTBRIF resistance MTBRIF resistance MTBRIF resistance (Mutant Tm,rpoB3/rpoB4-A) MTBRIF resistance (Mutant Tm,rpoB3/rpoB4-A)
M. avium (KMRC 0136-41011)RSD, LowND D, LowND D, Very lowND D, LowND
RRD, LowD D, LowD D, LowD (73.7/73.8) D, TraceIndeterminate
M. intracellulare (ATCC 13950)RSD, LowND D, LowND D, LowND D, LowND
RRD, LowD D, LowD D, LowD (73.7/73.8) D, LowD (73.7/73.8)
M. kansasii (ATCC 12478)RSD, LowND D, LowND D, LowND D, LowND
RRD, LowD D, LowD D, LowD (73.7/73.7) D, LowD (73.4/73.8)
M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (ATCC 19977)RSD, LowND D, LowND D, LowND D, LowND
RRD, LowD D, LowD D, LowD (73.4/73.7) D, LowD (73.2/73.6)
M. abscessus subsp. massiliense (CCUG 48898)RSD, LowND D, LowND D, LowND D, LowND
RRD, LowD D, LowD D, LowD (73.5/73.8) D, LowD (72.8/73.3)
M. gordonae (ATCC 14470)RSD, LowND D, MediumND D, LowND D, LowND
RRD, LowD D, LowD D, LowD (73.6/73.7) D, LowD (73.5/73.8)
M. chelonae (ATCC 35752)RSD, LowND D, LowND D, LowND D, LowND
RRD, LowD D, LowD D, LowD (73.8/73.8) D, LowD (73.5/73.9)
M. fortuitum (KMRC 0136-60004)RSD, LowND D, LowND D, LowND D, Very lowND
RRD, LowD D, LowD D, LowD (72.7/73.3) D, LowD (73.4/73.7)

Abbreviations: RIF, rifampin; NTM, nontuberculous mycobacteria; CFU, colony-forming unit; MTB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; KMRC, Korea Mycobacterium Resource Center; ATCC, American Type Culture Collection; CCUG, Culture Collection University of Göteborg; D, detected; ND, not detected; RS, rifampin-susceptible reference strain (H37Rv, ATCC 27294); RR, rifampin-resistant clinical isolate with S450L mutation.