Objective:To characterize mycobaclerium isolates from pulmomary tuberculosis suspected cases visiting National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory at Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute,for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis from January 4 to February 22.2010 with total samples of 263.Methods:Sputum specimens were collected and processed:the deposits were cultured.Por culturing Lowenstein Jensen medium(LJ) and Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube(BACTEC MGIT 960) were used.Capilia Neo was used for detecting NTM isolates from isolates of BACTEC MGIT960.In Armauer Hansen Research Institute,Addis Ababa Ethiopia,Deletion typing PCR method for species identification(from confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex(MTBC) isolates by Capilia Neo) uas done.Results:Out of 263 enrolled in the study.124 and 117 ol them were positive for mycobaeterium growth by BACTEC MGIT 960 and 1.1 culture method,respectively.From BACTEC MGIT 960 positive media of 124 isolates.117 were randomly taken to perform Capilia TB Neo lest.From these 7(6%) of them were found to be NTM and 110(94%) were MTBC.From these 110 MTBC isolates,81 of them were randomly taken and run by the deletion typing RD9 PCR method of molecular technique.Out of these 78(96.3%) were found to be species of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 3(3.7%) were found to be not in the MTBC.Regarding the types of methods of culture media.Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube(BACTEC MGIT 960) method was found to have excellent agreement(with kappa value ol 0.78) with the routine method of LJ.Conclusions:Pulmonary tuberculosis suspected cases visiting the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory at EHNR1 that were confirmed to be pulmonary tuberculosis are caused by the species of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.hence treatment regimen including pyrazinamide can be applied to the patients as the first choice in the study area in Addis Ababa.Ethiopia.There is indication of the presence of NTM in patients visiting the tuberculosis reference laboratory and this is important because NTM is known lo cause pulmonary disease similar with sign and symptom ol pulmonary tuberculosis but different in treatment.BACTEC MGIT 960 has excellent agreement with LJ media but it has high tendency of having high contamination rale unless a better decontamination method is designed. Objective: To characterize mycobaclerium isolates from pulmomary tuberculosis disposed cases visiting National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory at Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis from January 4 to February 22. 2010 with total samples of 263. Methods: Sputum specimens were collected and processed: the deposits were cultured. Preculture Lowenstein Jensen medium (LJ) and Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (BACTEC MGIT 960) were used. Capilia Neo was used for detecting NTM isolates from isolates of BACTEC MGIT960. Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, Deletion typing PCR method for species identification (from confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates by Capilia Neo) uas done. Results: Out of 263 enrolled in the study.124 and 117 ol them were positive for mycobaeterium growth by BACTEC MGIT 960 and 1.1 culture method, respectively.From BACTEC MGIT 960 positive media of 124 isolates.117 were randomly taken n to perform Capilia TB Neo lest. These 7 (6%) of these were found to NTM and 110 (94%) were MTBC. These 110 MTBC isolates, 81 of them were randomly taken and run by the deletion typing RD9 PCR method of molecular technique. Out of 78 (96.3%) were found to be species of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 3 (3.7%) were found to be not in the MTBC. Regarding the types of methods of culture media. Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (BACTEC MGIT 960) method was found to have excellent agreement (with kappa value ol 0.78) with the routine method of LJ.Conclusions: Pulmonary tuberculosis suspected cases visiting the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory at EHNR1 that were confirmed to be pulmonary tuberculosis are caused by the species of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. treatment regimen including pyrazinamide can be applied to the patients as the first choice in the study area in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia. Where is the presence of NTM in patients visiting the tuberculosis reference laboratory and this is important because NTM is known lo cause pulmonary disease similar with sign and symptom ol pulmonary tuberculosis but different in treatment. BACTEC MGIT 960 has excellent agreement with LJ media but it has high tendency of having high contamination rale unless a better decontamination method is designed.