title: Evaluation of a commercial test based on ligase chain reaction for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory specimens.
abstract: A ligase chain reaction DNA amplification method for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Abbott LCx MTB) in respiratory specimens was evaluated. Results from LCx MTB Assay were compared with those from acid fast bacilli smear, culture, and final clinical diagnosis for each patient. A total of 297 respiratory specimens (sputum and bronchial lavage) from 193 patients were tested. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of LC vs culture were 92.7%, 93%, 67.8% and 98.7%, respectively. When compared to the clinical final diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for LCx were 88.9%, 96.8%, 86.5% and 97.4%, respectively. The sensitivity of LCx MTB assay was 75% for smear-negative, culture positive samples. The results indicate that LCx MTB assay is a rapid, simple and valuable technique as a complementary tool for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas do Centro Biomédico da Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabíola Karla Corrêa
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Valdério do Valle
authors.initials: Vdo V
authors.lastname: Dettoni
authors.forename: Renata Lyrio
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Peres
authors.forename: Solange Alves
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Vinhas
authors.forename: Tatiana Resende
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Có
authors.forename: Reynaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dietze
authors.forename: Moisés
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palaci
mesh_terms: D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D022521:Ligase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic