Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA on the oral mucosa of tuberculosis patients.
Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) usually includes laboratory analysis of sputum, a viscous material derived from deep in the airways of patients with active disease. As a diagnostic sample matrix, sputum can be difficult to collect and analyze by microbiological and molecular techniques. An alternative, less invasive sample matrix could greatly simplify TB diagnosis. We hypothesized that Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells or DNA accumulate on the oral epithelia of pulmonary TB patients, and can be collected and detected by using oral (buccal) swabs. To test this hypothesis, 3 swabs each were collected from 20 subjects with active pulmonary TB and from 20 healthy controls. Samples were tested by using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific to the M. tuberculosis IS6110 insertion element. Eighteen out of 20 confirmed case subjects (90%) yielded at least 2 positive swabs. Healthy control samples were 100% negative. This case-control study supports past reports of M. tuberculosis DNA detection in oral swabs. Oral swab samples are non-invasive, non-viscous, and easy to collect with or without active TB symptoms. These characteristics may enable simpler and more active TB case finding strategies.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Rachel C
RC
Wood
South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), School of Child &Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Angelique K
AK
Luabeya
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Kris M
KM
Weigel
Evolutionary Emergence of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Alicia K
AK
Wilbur
Evolutionary Emergence of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Lisa
L
Jones-Engel
South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), School of Child &Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Mark
M
Hatherill
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Gerard A
GA
Cangelosi
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial