Application of microplate almar blue assay for rapid detection of drug resistance of M. tuberculosis strains

Background: Recently, microplate almar blue assay has been used commonly in detecting gen related to tuberculosis drug resistance, which provides results after 5-7 days with lower cost compared to traditional methods. Objective: To evaluate the application of microplate almar blue assay for rapid detection of drug resistance of M. tuberculosis strains. Subject and Method: A microplate-based assay which uses Alamar blue reagent - an oxidation reduction dye (MABA), was used for the determination of the anti-tuberculosis drug (isoniazid-INH, rifampicine-RIF, streptomycine-STR and ethabuton=EMB) resistance of 96 M. tuberculosis strains isolated from Vietnamese patients in comparison to those obtained by conversional method. Result: MABA showed to have high sensitivity and specificity in testing the sensitivity to individual anti-tuberculosis drugs (from 82.4% for STR to 93.3% for - INH and from 82.5% for EMB to 98.4% for STR; respectively), as well as for the multi-drug resistant M.tuberculosis (86.4% of sensitivity), highly correlated with the result determined by proportion method. Conclusion: MABA reveals the advantage in shortening test time, in simple performance and lower cost compared with the conversional culture based methods.

Appication of chemo- immunotherapy using M. Vaccae for newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis AFB (+) in Ha Tay and Ha Noi

Background: \r\n', u'In the antituberculosis chemotherapy, shortening treatment course, and applying new high effective methods are top prioritized. Of which,the immunotherapy with M vaccea an environmental saprophyte, combined with the antituberculosis medicines all over the world has been applied since 1985, aimed to enhance the host immune responses.\r\n', u'Objectives:\r\n', u'To evaluate the results after 6 months of shortened course anittuberculosis chemotherapy by combining the immunotherapy withM vaccae.\r\n', u'Subjects and method: \r\n', u'233 newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients with AFB smear (+) selected from Centers for Tuberculosis Control in some districts of Ha Tay and Ha Noi. They are 15 above, and not the pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetes, HIV infections, and hepatitis B (Unnecessary) \r\n', u'Dividing randomly into 2 groups, group A was in treatment of the standard 8 month chemotherapy regimen, and group B was treated in a shortned 6 month chemotherapy regimen in combination with immunotherapy by using M. vaccae vaccine. \r\n', u'Results:\r\n', u'The rates of AFB (-) sputum of group B were 98,2% and 100% respectively, the rates of the group A were 97,4% and 99% respectively after 2 and 6 months of treatment. There are 88.5% and 100% for group B, 85.6% and 98.8% for group A at the same time to achieve a negative sputum culture for M. tuberculosis. IgM responses against M. tuberculosis sonicated antigen before and after the follow-up time in Group A are not changed, whereas this level of the immunotherapy group had reduced significantly at the 6th moth (P<0.05). There is no responses in IgC to M. tuberculosis of both groups during the same follow-up period. The mean weight of patients in group B was higher than that of group A after 2 and 6 months of treatment.\r\n', u'Conclusion:\r\n', u'M. vaccae vaccine brings good benefits when be combined with the chemo-immunotherapy for newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients with AFB smear (+). The negative sputum indicators and clinic improvements in the chemo- immunotherapy group of treatment are better than that of chemotherapy only. This study created more effective method for treating tuberculosis infection.\r\n', u'

The manpower and the demand for training in basic microbiology technique of centres for preventive medicine in North provinces and cities

Background: In the past decades, preventive medicine had achieved significant success by promoting the effective prevention. However, we were facing with the rising again of dangerous infectious diseases that had been controlled. Ministry of Health had approved the development support project for preventive medicine system to strengthen early detection and control diseases in time. Objectives: To survey the manpower and the demand for training in basic microbiology technique of Centres for preventive medicine. Subjects and method: Technicians of 29 centres for preventive medicine in North provinces were surveyed and the results were studied by the described cross method. Results: Number of technicians graduated difference, fluctuated from 3 to 14 person per unit. The women were 80.4%; men were 19.6%. The staff who have degrees of postgraduate was 5.3%; University graduated was 41.2%; middle-ranking was 53.6%. Their specialities were very different: medicine doctor was 15.2%; biologists were 8.8%. The rest were nurse, technicians convalesce nurse, Medical Public Health...(34.4%). Among the demand for obtain the train in Microbiology, basic and advance labiratory techniques, 19.4% were the requests for training in basic microbiology; 16.4% were for molecular technology; 21.4% were for bacterium isolate technology and 19.4% were for virus technology. Conclusion: The results were the basis of creating a appropriate technical training strategy to contribute to the success of the project.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anti-M.tuberculosis antigens for diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis

IgG antibodies to M.tuberculosis antigens were measured by ELISA directly in 51 pairs of sera and pericardial fluids taken from 51 patients with pericarditis at the time of diagnosis. Patients with pericarditis due to tuberculosis have significantly higher level of IgG antibodies in both sera and pericardial fluid than that of the patients with pericarditis due to the other causes and than that of normal, healthy controls. The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA were 84.2% and 88.5%, respectively. The positive and negative accordance of it was 80 and 90.3%

Rapid diagnosis of pleural effusion due to tuberculosis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect DNA sequence belonging to IS 6110, specific agent for M.tuberculosis, directly in pleural fluids of 48 patients suspected to be due to tuberculosis and 13 patients suspected to be due to lung cancer selected by clinical, biochemical and cytological data. Excepted 2 samples showed to have inhibition factors to the activity of tag polymerase, 33 of 48 samples were found PCR positive, giving a sensitivity of 72%. All 13 pleural fluids taken from patients with pleural effusion due to cancer were PCR negative. The results: PCR of pleural fluid can be a useful method for rapid diagnosis of pleural effusion due to tuberculosis, which is difficult to differentiate with those due to cancer.

The glutaraldehyde test as a rapid screening method for tuberculosis

The test was performed on 226 tuberculosis patients of different forms and 119 healthy controls and patients of other diseases. The results showed high percentage of tuberculosis patients having positive reaction, different significantly from healthy controls and patients with leprosy and lung cancer (71,43-100% versus 0-4%). Together with ELISA to detect IgG anti M.tuberculosis, glutaraldehyde test showed to have sensitivity of 84-87% in extrapulmonary cases, 89-100% in pulmonary tuberculosis and specificity about 94% when compared with final clinical diagnosis and data obtained from healthy controls