Evaluating the Early Diagnostic Accuracy of Nanopore DNA Sequencing of Tongue Swabs for Tuberculosis: A Lasso Regression-Based Study (PRJCA048343)
We conducted a prospective cohort study of 90 patients with suspected TB who presented to Anhui Chest Hospital from April 2024 and April 2025. Clinical symptoms were documented alongside results from sputum smear, sputum Ultra assay, mycobacterial cultures from sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), BAL Ultra assay, T-SPOT.TB, and tongue swab-based nanopore DNA sequencing. The final clinical diagnosis served as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance was assessed via baseline comparisons, ROC analysis, agreement testing, and LASSO regression, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of tongue swab nanopore sequencing in early TB diagnosis.