This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Moore, D. F.
Right arrow Articles by Curry, J. I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Moore, D. F.
Right arrow Articles by Curry, J. I.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 1998, p. 1028-1031, Vol. 36, No. 4
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Detection and Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Directly from Sputum Sediments by Ligase Chain Reaction

Douglas F. Moore* and Janis I. Curry

Public Health Laboratory, Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, California 92706

Received 31 October 1997/Returned for modification 19 December 1997/Accepted 15 January 1998

Sputum specimens received for the diagnosis of tuberculosis or other mycobacterial infections were tested by a ligase chain reaction (LCR)-based assay and acid-fast stain and culture techniques. Results from the LCR assay (Abbott LCx Mycobacterium tuberculosis [MTB] Assay) were compared to results from standard culture techniques held for 6 weeks. Four hundred ninety-three specimens from 205 patients suspected of pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the prospective study. Thirty-four (6.9%) of the specimens were culture positive for M. tuberculosis, and 13 (38%) of these were also fluorochrome stain positive. LCR sensitivities and specificities compared to culture were 74 and 98%, respectively. LCR sensitivity was 100% for fluorochrome stain-positive specimens and 57% for fluorochrome stain-negative specimens. Nine LCR-negative, culture-positive specimens were the result of low concentrations of M. tuberculosis. No inhibitors were detected in any of these specimens. Of the eight LCR-positive, culture-negative specimens, five were from patients with active tuberculosis. With these considered culture misses, final LCR sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 77, 99, 91, and 98%, respectively. The same performance values for the fluorochrome acid-fast bacillus smear were 33, 98, 62, and 94%, respectively. After normal laboratory sputum processing, the Abbott LCx MTB Assay can be completed in 6 h. Thus, it is possible to have results available within 8 h of specimen submission.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Orange County Public Health Laboratory, 1729 W 17th St., Santa Ana, CA 92706. Phone: (714) 834-8385. Fax: (714) 834-7968. E-mail: dmoore{at}hca.co.orange.ca.us.


Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 1998, p. 1028-1031, Vol. 36, No. 4
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Campos, M., Quartin, A., Mendes, E., Abreu, A., Gurevich, S., Echarte, L., Ferreira, T., Cleary, T., Hollender, E., Ashkin, D. (2008). Feasibility of Shortening Respiratory Isolation with a Single Sputum Nucleic Acid Amplification Test. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 178: 300-305 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Greco, S, Girardi, E, Navarra, A, Saltini, C (2006). Current evidence on diagnostic accuracy of commercially based nucleic acid amplification tests for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Thorax 61: 783-790 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Piersimoni, C., Scarparo, C. (2003). Relevance of Commercial Amplification Methods for Direct Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Clinical Samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 5355-5365 [Full Text]  
  • Iwamoto, T., Sonobe, T., Hayashi, K. (2003). Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Direct Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex, M. avium, and M. intracellulare in Sputum Samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 2616-2622 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lachnik, J., Ackermann, B., Bohrssen, A., Maass, S., Diephaus, C., Puncken, A., Stermann, M., Bange, F.-C. (2002). Rapid-Cycle PCR and Fluorimetry for Detection of Mycobacteria. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 3364-3373 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Woo, P. C. Y., Leung, K.-W., Wong, S. S. Y., Chong, K. T. K., Cheung, E. Y. L., Yuen, K.-Y. (2002). Relatively Alcohol-Resistant Mycobacteria Are Emerging Pathogens in Patients Receiving Acupuncture Treatment. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 1219-1224 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Woo, P. C. Y., Tsoi, H.-W., Leung, K.-W., Lum, P. N. L., Leung, A. S. P., Ma, C.-H., Kam, K.-M., Yuen, K.-Y. (2000). Identification of Mycobacterium neoaurum Isolated from a Neutropenic Patient with Catheter-Related Bacteremia by 16S rRNA Sequencing. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38: 3515-3517 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lumb, R., Davies, K., Dawson, D., Gibb, R., Gottlieb, T., Kershaw, C., Kociuba, K., Nimmo, G., Sangster, N., Worthington, M., Bastian, I. (1999). Multicenter Evaluation of the Abbott LCx Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ligase Chain Reaction Assay. J. Clin. Microbiol. 37: 3102-3107 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Garrino, M. G., Glupczynski, Y., Degraux, J., Nizet, H., Delmée, M. (1999). Evaluation of the Abbott LCx Mycobacterium tuberculosis Assay for Direct Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Human Samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 37: 229-232 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Piersimoni, C., Callegaro, A., Scarparo, C., Penati, V., Nista, D., Bornigia, S., Lacchini, C., Scagnelli, M., Santini, G., De Sio, G. (1998). Comparative Evaluation of the New Gen-Probe Mycobacterium tuberculosis Amplified Direct Test and the Semiautomated Abbott LCx Mycobacterium tuberculosis Assay for Direct Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Respiratory and Extrapulmonary Specimens. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 3601-3604 [Abstract] [Full Text]