Comparison of a semiautomated commercial repetitive-sequence-based PCR method with spoligotyping, 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat typing, and restriction fragment length polymorphism-based analysis of IS6110 for Mycobacterium tuberculosis typing

Fifty-two multidrug-resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis representative of the currently predominant lineages in France were analyzed using repetitive-sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) DiversiLab (DL), spoligotyping, 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat typing (MIRU-VNTR), and restriction fragment length polymorphism of IS6110 (IS6110-RFLP). DL, as opposed to MIRU-VNTR and IS6110-RFLP analysis, did not allow discrimination among half of the isolates, an indication of comparatively lower resolving power.