These studies demonstrate the speed, efficiency and utility of xMAP technology for simultaneous, rapid, sensitive and specific nucleic acid detection, and its capability to meet the current and future requirements of the molecular laboratory for high-throughput nucleic acid detection.

Difficulties in distinguishing organisms of the "Streptococcus milleri group" (SMG; Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus constellatus, and Streptococcus anginosus), have caused ambiguity in determining their pathogenic potential. We reviewed 118 cases in which SMG isolates had been identified using 16S rDNA sequence. S. constellatus and S. anginosus were isolated far more frequently than was S. intermedius. Nearly all isolates of S. intermedius and most isolates of S. constellatus, but only 19% of those of S. anginosus, were associated with abscess. Our findings suggest that speciation of the SMG may guide diagnostic evaluation, give insight into the possible role of coinfecting organisms, and help assess the need to search for occult abscess.

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For complex diagnostic problems like TB, clinical risk assessments can provide important information regarding predictive values more likely to be experienced in clinical practice. For this series, a clinical suspicion of TB was helpful in targeting areas of the clinical spectrum in which nucleic acid amplification tests can make an important contribution.