Challenge in direct Spoligotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a problematic issue in the region with high prevalence of polyclonal infections.

Based on the Spoligotyping pattern, among the fourteen patients, 57.1% had different genotypes in clinical samples and their respective cultures. These discrepant patterns were suggestive of polyclonal infections in clinical samples with possible overlapping Spoligotype patterns. We propose that in societies with high mixed infections (e.g. Iran), direct Spoligotyping on clinical samples can be controversial.