title: Value of the polymerase chain reaction method for detecting tuberculosis in the bronchial tissue involved by anthracosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anthracofibrosis is the black discoloration of the bronchial mucosa with deformity and obstruction. Association of this disease with tuberculosis (TB) was approved. The objective of this study was to find the additional benefit of assessment of TB by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bronchoscopy was performed on 103 subjects (54 anthracofibrosis and 49 control subjects) who required bronchoscopy for their pulmonary problems. According to bronchoscopic findings, participants were classified to anthracofibrosis and nonanthracotic groups. They were examined for TB with traditional methods such as direct smear (Ziehl-Neelsen staining), Löwenstein-Jensen culture, and histopathology and the new method "PCR" for Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome (IS6110).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, sex, smoking, and clinical findings were not significantly different in the TB and the non-TB groups. Acid-fast bacilli could be detected by a direct smear in 12 (25%) of the anthracofibrosis subjects, and adding the results of culture and histopathology traditional tests indicated TB in 27 (31%) of the cases. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was diagnosed by PCR in 18 (33%) patients, but the difference was not significant. Detection of acid-fast bacilli in control nonanthracosis subjects was significantly lower (3, 6%), but PCR (20, 40%) and accumulation of results from all traditional methods (22, 44%) showed a nonsignificant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PCR method showed a result equal to traditional methods including accumulation of smear, culture, and histopathology.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Internal Medicine, 22 Bahman Hospital, Islamic Azad University-Mashhad Branch ‡Department of Immunology and Zakaria Research Center, Medical School of Islamic Azad University-Mashhad Branch §Immunology Research Center, Buali Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad †Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirsadraee
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shafahie
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reza Khakzad
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sankian
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055008:Anthracosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*