Common nonsynonymous polymorphisms in the NOD2 gene are associated with resistance or susceptibility to tuberculosis disease in African Americans.

Pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) play a key role in innate immunity against intracellular bacteria. NOD2 is one of the PRRs that contribute to the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. We sequenced coding regions of the NOD2 gene in 377 African Americans with tuberculosis (TB) disease and 187 ethnically matched control subjects.

Validation of the MycoAlign system for Mycobacterium spp. identification.

Validation of the MycoAlign assay, a newly developed Mycobacterium spp. identification system based on internal transcribed spacer-1 sequencing, was performed using 50 acid-fast bacilli (AFB)-positive clinical laboratory specimens. Forty-three (86%) diagnostic-level results were obtained, including 38 Mycobacterium spp.