title: Applicability of Xpert MTB/RIF assay for routine diagnosis of tuberculosis: a four-year single-center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for diagnosis of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in clinical samples and to compare the results by reference to the diagnostic method, Bactec MGIT 960.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 7407 samples were included from patients not primarily suggesting pulmonary or extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB), collected from patients required to be screened for TB and excluding TB diagnoses since it was a differential diagnosis. Also included were a total of 411 samples from patients primarily suggesting pulmonary or extrapulmonary TB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first group, 152 of 7407 samples yielded positive results with the Bactec MGIT 960, 131 (1.77%) were found positive with Löwenstein-Jensen medium, and 295 (3.99%) were found positive with Ziehl-Neelsen staining. In the second group, 24 (5.8%), 17 (4.1%), and 28 (6.8%) of 411 samples were found positive. Xpert MTB/RIF [27 (6.6%) of 411 samples] detected 3 additional samples as positive, and these 3 cases were clinically compatible with TB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Xpert MTB/RIF assay shows superior performance for the diagnosis of TB. Its usefulness in culture-negative patients and the best method for integrating this diagnostic method into current tuberculosis diagnostic algorithms both need further study.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Mustafa Gökhan
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gözel
authors.forename: Mustafa Zahir
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Bakici
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berk
authors.forename: Sefa Levent
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ozşahin
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gültürk
mesh_terms: D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial