title: Sensitivity of the Cobas Amplicor system for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory and extrapulmonary specimens.
abstract: The Cobas Amplicor PCR system (CA-PCR) was compared with culture and staining for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) for the early detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory clinical specimens and otherwise normal sterile body fluids. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of CA-PCR were determined with AFB-positive and AFB-negative specimens. The sensitivity of CA-PCR ranged from 73.6% to 100% for AFB-positive samples, while sputa collected after bronchoscopy were the most useful specimens, with 70% sensitivity and 98.6% specificity among the AFB-negative samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fegou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jelastopulu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sevdali
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Anastassiou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dimitracopoulos
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spiliopoulou
mesh_terms: D001826:Body Fluids / Q000382:microbiology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*