title: Rapid identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex on urine samples by Gen-Probe amplification test.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the applicability to urine samples of the Amplified Mycobacterium tuberculosis Direct Detection Test (AMTD), which is currently used to identify this organism in respiratory specimens within a few hours. The study was performed on 95 patients, comprising 35 subjects with a high index of suspicion for active tuberculosis of the urinary tract and 60 subjects with evidence of non-mycobacterial disease. One urine specimen from each subject was examined by microscopy, culture and AMTD. AMTD was positive in 38 specimens and negative in 57. Assuming culture as the reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of AMTD were 100%, 91.93%, 86.84% and 100%, respectively. Reassessing the discrepancies between AMTD and culture by review of patients' charts, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of AMTD were 100%, 93.44%, 89.47% and 100%. The results of the study as well as the characteristics of AMTD encourage its use for the rapid recognition of urinary tract tuberculosis, although its findings should be interpreted cautiously when the clinical picture is not consistent with an active tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Hospital S. Luigi, Regione Gonzole, Orbassano (Turin), Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Porpiglia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galietti
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rocca
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Chirillo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014401:Tuberculosis, Urogenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine*