title: Xpert MTB/RIF®, a novel automated polymerase chain reaction-based tool for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
abstract: There is an urgent need for new point of care tests for tuberculosis (TB). Xpert MTB/RIF® is a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based system that detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA and rifampicin (RMP) resistance modulating mutations directly from clinical samples in 2 h. The sensitivity for detecting M. tuberculosis in culture-positive samples was 93.8% (60/64) and exceeded smear microscopy (40/64, 62.5%). The specificity for detecting M. tuberculosis was 92.0% (23/25) and for RMP resistance it was 100% (8/8). The test is simple to conduct and requires basic sputum handling facilities only. These characteristics render it a promising close-to-patient test for TB in various settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Bowles
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Freyée
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Ingen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Boeree
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Soolingen
mesh_terms: D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular / Q000494:pharmacology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012293:Rifampin