title: Rapid Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Sputum Samples by Cepheid Xpert Assay: A Clinical Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the commonest opportunistic infection and the leading cause of death in HIV patients in developing countries. HIV infection is a well recognised risk factor for both activation of initial infection and reactivation of latent infection. This study was done to find out the co-prevalence and the trend of HIV infection among tuberculosis patients and to determine the prevalence of MDR Tuberculosis in HIV positive patients using Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, United States).
  
  
  METHODS
  The sputum samples are received from five districts of Punjab. Sputum samples of the patients with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis including both new cases and on treatment are received from the various district and civil hospitals of five districts. Sputum specimen was processed for TB detection by Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification testing (CB-NAAT) using Xpert MTB/RiF assay technology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study period is from October 2013 to September 2014. A total of 907 patients with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis including both new cases and on treatment. Out of these patients 733 were reported MTB detected. Out of these 907 patients 29 were reported HIV positive and out of 733 patients 19(2.5%) were reported positive for (HIV +TUBERCULOSIS). Of these 19 cases 16(84.21%) cases were sensitive to rifampicin (RIF) and 3(15.78%) cases were showing resistance to rifampicin (RIF) Drug.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Co-existence of HIV and tuberculosis is high and there is high Prevalence of MDR tuberculosis in HIV patients.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.affiliation: Professor & Head, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Neerja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jindal
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC Faridkot Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.affiliation: Senior Resident, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC Faridkot Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arora
keywords: Cartridge based nucleic acid amplification testing Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Co- infection; Pulmonary; Rifampicin; Tuberculosis