title: Use of ligase chain reaction for the rapid diagnosis of lymph node tuberculosis.
abstract: Ligase chain reaction amplification (LCx Abbott Laboratories) was used to detect the presence of M. tuberculosis in 101 adenopathy specimens obtained from 98 patients. A total of 30 cases of lymph node tuberculosis were diagnosed, and the data were compared with results obtained using conventional techniques. The sensitivity of auramine staining and culture were 50.0% and 66.7%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the LCx assay were 80.0, 98.6, 96.0, and 92.1% respectively. The results confirm the reliability of ligase chain reaction amplification for the detection of lymph node tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Clinical University Hospital, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: León Muiños
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pérez Del Molino
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lado Lado
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pazo Nuñez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pardo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D011088:DNA Ligases / Q000032:analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D022521:Ligase Chain Reaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013030:Spain; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011088:DNA Ligases