title: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in infertile women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Female genital tuberculosis (FGTB) has a profound impact on the reproductive health of patients including infertility. Conventional diagnostic techniques have low sensitivity and specificity as well as long turnaround time. There is a need of developing newer, rapid and practically adaptable technique, especially in low-income countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To standardize and evaluate loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique for diagnosis of FGTB.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 300 endometrial biopsy samples from infertile females were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, Lowenstein-Jensen culture, automated culture (BACTEC mycobacterial growth indicator tube), histopathological examination (HPE), nucleic acid amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and LAMP technique. Composite gold standard (either smear/culture/HPE/PCR positive) was considered for calculation of outcome parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The observed sensitivities of ZN smear, culture, HPE, PCR and LAMP were 2.94%, 10.29%, 8.82%, 95.59% and 66.18%, respectively. Overall concordance between PCR and LAMP was 63%, which shows a good agreement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to evaluate LAMP in the diagnosis of FGTB and found it to be a rapid and convenient technique, especially in low resource endemic settings.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sethi
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Dhaliwal
authors: Department of Cytology and Gynaecological Pathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Dey
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kaur
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Yadav
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sethi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology*; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014384:Tuberculosis, Female Genital / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult