PCR can help early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health
; 2003 Mar; 34(1): 147-53
Article
in En
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-34760
ABSTRACT
One hundred and fifty-one patients, clinically suspected for pulmonary tuberculosis (age 31 +/- 13 years, male/female 112/39), were investigated to evaluate the diagnostic potential of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in sputum. The diagnostic efficacy of PCR was compared with culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on egg-based Lowenstein-Jensen modified medium. PCR detected 71.5% (108/151), whereas culture detected 66.2% (100/151) of the clinically suspected patients. There was a significant association between the results of PCR and culture (chi2 = 59.524, p < 0.001). However, 23.2% (35/151) samples were found negative in both culture and PCR. Considering culture as the gold standard, the sensitivity of the PCR was 92%. and its specificity 70%. This lower apparent specificity may be due to the higher sensitivity of PCR.
Full text:
1
Index:
IMSEAR
Main subject:
Sputum
/
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary
/
Aged, 80 and over
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Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Chi-Square Distribution
/
Polymerase Chain Reaction
/
Sensitivity and Specificity
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limits:
Aged80
Language:
En
Journal:
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health
Year:
2003
Type:
Article