Diagnostic Value of the Amplicor PCR Assay for Initial Diagnosis and Assessment of Treatment Response for Pulmonary Tuberculosis

We evaluated the Amplicor PCR assay as an initial diagnostic tool on the basis of clinical diagnosis, and assessed this assay as a follow-up test for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis during chemotherapy. Of the 208 specimens from 155 patients who were bacteriologically and/or clinically diagnosed with active tuberculosis before chemotherapy, 144 were Amplicor PCR-positive (sensitivity, 69.2%), which was equal to the results of culturing. Among 89 specimens which showed positive results by smear and culturing, the Amplicor PCR assay detected 87 (97.8%), whereas among 55 specimens which showed smear-negative but culture-positive results, the Amplicor PCR assay detected 46 (83.6%)(P = 0.003). No false positive results were found in the two systems (specificity, 100%, 120/120). The Amplicor PCR assay was also evaluated as a follow-up test using 926 specimens from 207 patients receiving active tuberculosis chemotherapy. Among 433 specimens which showed Amplicor-PCR positive, 222 (51.3%) were culture-negative. On the other hand, among 233 culture-positive specimens, only 12 (5.2%) were Amplicor PCR-negative. Therefore, this assay is useful for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis. The duration of Amplicor PCR-positive after culture-negative conversion was significantly associated with the presence of cavitary lesion, smear-positive specimens before treatment, and smear-positive specimens with negative cultures during chemotherapy.     

人IFN-g体外释放检测法的建立及其在结核病诊断中的应用

本研究旨在建立人IFN-g体外释放检测法, 用于人结核病的特异性诊断。克隆表达了人IFN-g基因, 利用纯化的重组IFN-g免疫小鼠, 获得两株高效价的单克隆抗体。用所获得的单克隆抗体及兔抗IFN-g多克隆抗体建立了检测人IFN-g的夹心ELISA, 检测灵敏度达到31.25 pg/mL。采集111位结核病阳性病人与292位临床健康对照者肝素抗凝全血,利用结核菌特异性抗原ESAT-6/CFP-10融合蛋白体外刺激外周血淋巴细胞释放IFN-g, 用所建立的夹心ELISA及商品化试剂盒平行检测所有样本, 结果表明两种方法的检测结果相符。结核患者的检测灵敏度为95.5%, 健康对照的阳性检出率为16.7%, 患者与健康对照的阳性检出率差异极显著(P<0.01), 证实所建立的方法灵敏度与特异性均很高, 具有良好的应用前景。     

Rapid dot sputum and serum assay in pulmonary tuberculosis

A rapid direct sputum (Sp.) and/or antibody assay, based on immunoblotting and enzyme immunoassay is described. The test can detect mycobacterial antigens or antibodies in clinical specimens from pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients. In this study, 87 sputa, 87 sera and 40 paired sputa and sera were utilized from smear-positive and smear-negative, culture-positive patients; 59 sputa, 37 sera and 22 paired sputa and sera from nontuberculosis respiratory disease patients and 68 sera from healthy controls. The antigen detection in sputum by dot assay has 86.1% sensitivity on active tuberculosis patients, 92.9% specificity, 91.6% positive predictive value (PPV), 88.2% negative predictive value (NPV) and 10.3% error. The antibody assay has 83.6% sensitivity, 95.4% specificity, 94.4% positive predictive value, 85.6% negative predictive value and 11% error. The test performed on paired sputum and serum (Sr.) samples has a sensitivity of 93.3%, which rose to 96.1% on smear-positive and culture-positive patients, but the specificity decreased to 83% in sputum, whereas in serum it was 92%. The results of the assay, combined with clinical and radiological data, could form the basis for starting an earlier course of treatment for tuberculosis.     

PCR amplification of shorter fragments from the devR (Rv3133c) gene significantly increases the sensitivity of tuberculosis diagnosis

This study was designed to assess the vital issue of gene target length and PCR assay performance in relation to the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical specimens. Two PCR assays that amplify fragments of varying lengths from the devR gene of M. tuberculosis were evaluated. Using M. tuberculosis DNA the 'short-length' PCR assay detected 250-500 genome equivalents vs. 500-1,000 genome equivalents by the 'long-length' assay. In comparison to a highly sensitive smear microscopy test (universal sample processing smear), the sensitivity of the 'short-length' assay was 97.8% vs. 69.9% of the 'long-length' assay in sputum specimens (n=506) from patients being evaluated for a possible diagnosis of tuberculosis. The 27.9% absolute increase in sensitivity was statistically significant (P<0.001). Our results indicate that in a clinical setting when all other conditions are equal, the amplification of a shorter gene fragment of devR increases the sensitivity and efficiency of the PCR assay in spite of using a single copy gene as target.     

IgG antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-5 in cerebrospinal fluid and its diagnostic application in tuberculous meningitis

IgG antibody to M. tuberculosis antigen-5 was detected by non-competitive ELISA in cerebrospinal fluid specimens (CSF), from 40 patients with clinical diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis and in 42 patients of non-tuberculous neurological diseases. The geometric mean antibody titer in CSF specimen for tuberculous and non-tuberculous groups were 156 and 8 respectively. The antibody titer in CSF specimens showed no correlation to IgG levels, tuberculin reactor status and duration of chemotherapy in patients with tuberculous meningitis. At a dilution end-point 1:40, the assay had a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 92%. However at dilution end-point 1:80, the specificity of the assay could be increased to 100% but sensitivity of the assay decreased to 75%. IgG antibody detection against M. tuberculosis antigen-5 by non-competitive ELISA, described in this communication has potential application in the laboratory diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis, particularly in developing countries where the incidence and prevalence of tuberculous meningitis is still high. In culture-negative cases of tuberculous meningitis, non-competitive ELISA could be applied as an alternative diagnostic tool.     

上海口岸2014-2015年入境人员肺结核筛查情况

为了解上海口岸入境人员肺结核的筛查情况及后续处理,防止结核病通过口岸跨境传播,本研究于2014年1月—2015年12月对所有在上海口岸办理入境体检的14岁以上人员进行结核病筛查,通过病史、体格检查和胸部X线摄影筛查疑似肺结核患者;对疑似肺结核患者进行痰细菌学检测、T‐SPOT ．TB和 Xpert MTB／RIF检测。结果显示,2014—2015年上海口岸入境人员共检出疑似肺结核患者215例,总检出率为229．76／10万;确诊肺结核患者33例,总检出率为35．27／10万,确诊率为15．3％。对210例疑似肺结核患者进行痰细菌学检测,结果显示结核分枝杆菌培阳率为14．3％,非结核分枝杆菌培阳率为17．1％。有95例和78例疑似肺结核患者分别接受 T‐SPOT ．TB和 Xpert MTB／RIF 检测,以痰细菌学检测为“金标准”,T‐SPOT ．TB的灵敏度为100％,特异度为49．4％;Xpert MTB／RIF的灵敏度为87．5％,特异度为96．8％。33例确诊肺结核患者中,25例（75．8％）离境,15例（45．5％）在离境前接受抗结核治疗,8例（24．2％）失访。本研究显示,上海口岸入境人员中肺结核确诊率仍有待提高。筛查与诊断中,T‐SPOT ．TB具备较高灵敏度, Xpert MTB／RIF具备较高特异度,两种方法均有较高应用价值,两者联用可提高检出率,缩短检出时间。对确诊病例或未确诊的可疑病例应加强后续监管。     

A new Multi-PCR-SSCP assay for simultaneous detection of isoniazid and rifampin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Prompt detection of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for effective control of tuberculosis (TB). We developed a Multi-PCR-SSCP method that detects more than 80% commonly observed isoniazid (INH) and rifampin (RIF) resistance M. tuberculosis in a single assay. The usefulness of the newly developed method was evaluated with 116 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis. Distinct SSCP patterns were observed for different mutations and the correlation between Multi-PCR-SSCP results and DNA sequencing data was strong. Using the culture-based phenotypic drug susceptibility testing as a reference, the sensitivity of the newly developed Multi-PCR-SSCP assay was determined to be 80% and 81.8% for INH and RIF, respectively. The specificity of the assay was 100% and 92%, for INH and RIF, respectively. Multi-PCR-SSCP provides a rapid and potentially more cost-effective method of detecting multidrug-resistant TB.     

HIV合并肺结核与单纯肺结核的临床特征分析及抗结核治疗效果对比

目的:分析HIV合并肺结核患者的临床特征及抗结核治疗的疗效。方法:将我院收治的HIV感染合并肺结核初治患者53例作为A组,将同期收治的单纯肺结核患者176例作为B组,对两组患者临床资料、实验室检查结果以及治疗效果等进行回顾性分析。结果:A组患者并发症发生率以及肺外结核发生率显著高于B组(P0.05),A组咳嗽发生率低于B组,但发热发生率高于B组(P0.05);A组患者斑点实验、PPD实验、痰查抗酸杆菌阳性率均低于B组(P0.05),A组患者肝功能异常、肾功能异常以及CD4+计数200发生率高于B组(P0.05);A组抗结核治疗的临床疗效低于B组(P0.05);两组患者治疗后CD4+水平均高于治疗前,且B组高于A组(P0.05)。结论:与单纯感染肺结核的患者相比,HIV合并肺结核患者并发症以及肺外结核发生率较高,实验室相关检查敏感性较低,抗结核治疗的效果较差,临床应给予重视。     

A rapid immunochromatographic assay for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in pulmonary samples from HIV seropositive patients and its comparison with conventional methods

As tuberculosis generates a highly heterogeneous antibody repertoire, its diagnosis requires tests based on cocktails of antigens. We describe a new, rapid method called rapid immunochromatographic assay (RICA) for cocktail-based diagnosis, which can detect Mycobacterial antigens in sputum specimens. Six antigenic fractions of pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis were used in combination as the capture antigens in the control line of the flow-through assay. Antigen detection of 200 sputum samples from HIV seropositive patients by RICA assay gave a sensitivity of 97.9%, specificity of 99.0%, positive predictive value of 98.9%, negative predictive value of 98.0%, false positive rate of 0.9%, false negative rate of 2.0%, prevalence rate of 49%, likelihood ratio for positive results 97 and likelihood ratio for negative results 0.02. The combination of RICA and AFB staining gave a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value of 100%, false positive rate of 0%, false negative rate of 0%, likelihood ratio for negative results 0. The assay was simple, rapid and economical for the detection of M. tuberculosis infection and suitable for large scale screening of samples in endemic areas without any sophisticated equipment. The results of the assay proved to be superior to conventional methods and combined with clinical data, could form the basis for starting an earlier course of treatment.     

结核感染T细胞斑点试验对肺结核病的临床诊断价值研究

目的：评价结核感染T细胞斑点试验（T-SPOT．TB）对肺结核病的临床诊断价值。方法：选择2012年2月～8月湘雅医院呼吸科住院病人中92例可疑肺结核患者进行T—SPOT．TB检测、结核菌素试验（PPD试验）、结核抗体、血沉及影像学检查及病史收集。分析和比较T．SPOT．TB与传统结核诊断方法的阳性率、特异度、灵敏度并对其检测结果进行相关性分析。结果：92例患者中,48例被确诊为肺结核,其中41例T．SPOT．TB结果阳性,44例非肺结核患者中5例T．SPOT．TB结果阳性。T—SPOT．TB检测的敏感度为85．4％,特异度为88．6％。T-SPOT．TB检测在结核组的阳性检出率（85．4％）显著高于传统检查方法PPD（37．5％,P〈0．01）、结核抗体（16．7％,P〈0．01）、血沉（66．7％,P〈0．05）,在非结核病组中的特异性（88．6％）显著高于血沉（36．6％,P〈0．0J）。PPD与T-SPOT．TB联合可提高诊断结核的阳性率（89．6％）。T．SPOT．TB检测仅与PPD试验的结果存在显著性差异（P〈0．05）。结论：T-SPOT．TB诊断肺结核的敏感性及特异性较传统的PPD实验、结核抗体更高,具有重要的I临床应用价值。     

Molecular characterization of mutation associated with rifampicin and isoniazid resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates

Nucleotide changes in catalase peroxidase (Kat G) gene and gene encoding the beta subunit of RNA polymerase (rpo B), responsible for isoniazid and rifampicin drug resistance were determined in the clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by PCR-RFLP, Line probe assay and DNA sequencing. PCR-RFLP test was performed by HapII cleavage of an amplified fragment of Kat G gene to detect the transversion 315AGC-->ACC(Ser-->Thr) which is associated with INH drug resistance. The Line probe assay kit was evaluated to detect the mutation in 81bp RMP resistance determining region of rpo B gene associated with RMP drug resistance. These results were validated by DNA sequencing and drug susceptibility test. Kat G S 315 T mutation was found in 74.19% strains of M. tuberculosis from Delhi. This mutation was not found in any of the susceptible strains tested. The line probe assay kit and DNA sequencing identified 18 isolates as RMP resistant with specific mutation, while one of the RMP resistant strain was identified as RMP susceptible, with a concordance of 94.73% with the phenotypic drug susceptibility result. Majority (8 of 19, 42.1%) of resistant isolates involved base changes at codon 531 of rpo B gene. Both PCR-RFLP and Line probe assay test can be used in many of the clinical microbiology laboratories for early detection of isoniazid and rifampicin drug resistance in clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis.     

结核感染T细胞斑点试验对肺外结核诊断价值探讨

目的评价结核感染T细胞斑点试验（T—SPOT．TB）在肺外结核中的诊断价值。方法采用T—SPOT．TB试剂盒对疑诊或待排结核患者外周血中特异性T淋巴细胞进行检测。结果结核感染T细胞斑点试验的对结核病的敏感度、特异度分别为76．7％、84．3％。肺外结核组与肺结核组阳性率分别为92．0％和78．2％,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。该数据显著高于结核菌素试验的31．4％和结核分枝杆菌培养的19．3％,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论结核感染T细胞斑点试验是诊断肺外结核的快速敏感方法,值得在临床中推广使用。     

Serodiagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigenic glycolipids were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The 720 sera were collected from adult patients under investigation, suspected with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The test performance was estimated according to definitive diagnosis in terms of specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. These parameters calculated on 142 sera from patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis and on 578 sera from patients with different nontuberculosis diseases were 92%, 81.6%, 70.9% and 95.1%, respectively. The specificity decreased to 85% when tuberculosis was associated with cancer or hepatic cirrhosis. In reactivated tuberculosis the sensitivity and the positive predictive value were 86.9% and 83.3%, respectively. Our results showed that ELISA was conclusive for patients with active tuberculosis, before the initiation of the treatment. The sensitivity decreased to 30% in inactive forms. It was demonstrated that ELISA was positive in cases with negative microscopy genitourinary tuberculosis. ELISA could be used as a supporting test in the laboratory diagnosis of active extrapulmonary tuberculosis in adults, disregarding the site involved.     

PCR法快速检测临床标本中结核杆菌DNA

应用聚合酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）快速检测临床标本（脑脊液、胸水、腹水、血、痰液）中的结核杆菌ＤＮＡ,特异性扩增片段１２３ｂｐ,为结核杆菌的特异性重复序列ＩＳ６１１０部分基因。ＰＣＲ检测人型结核杆菌的敏感性达１０ｆｇＤＮＡ。临床标本的ＰＣＲ检测阳性率（２３．３％）明显高于抗酸染色涂片（２．９％）和细菌培养（５．７％）的阳性率（Ｐ〈０．０５）。通过设立对照系统及对扩增产物酶切分析,表明该法无假阴性结果（特异     

Diagnostic Accuracy and Turnaround Time of the Xpert MTB/RIF Assay in Routine Clinical Practice

The Xpert MTB/RIF assay was introduced for timely and accurate detection of tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy and turnaround time (TAT) of Xpert MTB/RIF assay in clinical practice in South Korea. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients in whom Xpert MTB/RIF assay using sputum were requested. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and detection of rifampicin resistance were calculated. In addition, TAT of Xpert MTB/RIF assay was compared with those of other tests. Total 681 patients in whom Xpert MTB/RIF assay was requested were included in the analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of Xpert MTB/RIF assay for diagnosis of PTB were 79.5% (124/156), 100.0% (505/505), 100.0% (124/124) and 94.0% (505/537), respectively. Those for the detection of rifampicin resistance were 57.1% (8/14), 100.0% (113/113), 100.0% (8/8) and 94.9% (113/119), respectively. The median TAT of Xpert MTB/RIF assay to the report of results and results confirmed by physicians in outpatient settings were 0 (0–1) and 6 (3–7) days, respectively. Median time to treatment after initial evaluation was 7 (4–9) days in patients with Xpert MTB/RIF assay, but was 21 (7–33.5) days in patients without Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Xpert MTB/RIF assay showed acceptable sensitivity and excellent specificity for the diagnosis of PTB and detection of rifampicin resistance in areas with intermediate TB burden. Additionally, the assay decreased time to the initiation of anti-TB drugs through shorter TAT.     

Detection of rifampin-resistant genotypes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis by reverse hybridization assay

We used a colorimetric reverse dot blot hybridization (CRDH) assay to detect the presence of mutations in a specific region of the rpoB gene, associated with rifampin (RIF) resistance, in a panel of 156 DNAs extracted from 103 RIF-sensitive and 53 RIF-resistant cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. When compared with the antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST), the sensitivity and specificity of the CRDH were 92.3% and 98.1%, respectively. When compared with sequencing, the sensitivity and specificity of the CRDH were 90.6% and 100%, respectively. To evaluate the performance of the assay directly in clinical specimens, 30 samples from tuberculosis patients were used. For these samples, the results of the CRDH were 100% consistent with the results of the AST and sequencing. These results indicate that the rate of concordance of the CRDH is high when compared to conventional methods and sequencing data. The CRDH can be successfully applied when a rapid test is required for the identification of RIF resistance in M. tuberculosis.     

Comparison of a multiplex-PCR assay with mycolic acids analysis and conventional methods for the identification of mycobacteria

A fast, sensitive and cost-effective multiplex-PCR assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) and Mycobacterium avium (M. avium) identification for routine diagnosis was evaluated. A total of 158 isolates of mycobacteria from 448 clinical specimens from patients with symptoms of mycobacterial disease were analyzed. By conventional biochemical methods 151 isolates were identified as M. tuberculosis, five as M. avium and two as Mycobacterium chelonae (M. chelonae). Mycolic acid patterns confirmed these results. Multiplex-PCR detected only IS6110 in isolates identified as MTC, and IS1245 was found only in the M. avium isolates. The method applied to isolates from two patients, identified by conventional methods and mycolic acid analysis, one as M. avium and other as M. chelonae, resulted positive for IS6110, suggesting co-infection with M. tuberculosis. These patients were successfully submitted to tuberculosis treatment. The multiplex-PCR method may offer expeditious identification of MTC and M. avium, which may minimize risks for active transmission of these organisms and provide useful treatment information.     

利用结核分枝杆菌抗原特异性γ-IFN体外释放测定评估抗结核治疗疗效的临床应用价值

探讨利用结核分枝杆菌抗原特异性γ-IFN体外释放测定评估抗结核治疗疗效的临床应用价值。研究了66例培养阳性肺结核病人抗结核治疗过程中抗原特异性γ-IFN体外释放测定结果的变化,并与结核菌素皮试结果的变化相比较。结果,抗原特异性γ-IFN体外释放测定于抗结核治疗前期(满2个月)的阳性率显著高于后期(疗程满6个月)[55/66(83.3%)vs12/66(18.2%);P≤0.01],而PPD结素皮试于抗结核治疗前期及后期的阳性率分别为[50/66(75.8%)vs38/66(57.6%);P>0.05]。结论:结核分枝杆菌抗原特异性γ-IFN体外释放测定评估抗结核治疗疗效较PPD结素皮试临床应用价值更大。     

Comparative evaluation under routine conditions of the nitrate reduction assay, the proportion assay and the MGIT 960 assay for drug susceptibility testing of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The performance of the nitrate reductase assay (NRA) was compared with the proportion method (PM) on Lowenstein-Jensen medium and the BACTEC MGIT960 assay under routine conditions using 160 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with a high proportion of resistant strains. The mean time to obtain results was 8.8 days and the overall agreements between NRA and PM and NRA and M960 were 95% and 94%, respectively. NRA was easy to perform and represents a useful tool for the rapid screening of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains in low-resource countries.     

T-SPOT.TB: an in vitro diagnostic assay measuring T-cell reaction to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens

The overall sensitivity of the RD1 ELISPOT assay (T-SPO.TB), which counts T cells sensitized to specific Mycobacterium tuberculosis peptide sequences, was 81-97% in populations with confirmed tuberculosis, in whom 39-78% had immunosuppressive conditions. In patients with confirmed tuberculosis, the respective RD1 ELISPOT versus tuberculin skin test (TST) sensitivities were 100% versus 89% in adults and 77% versus 35% in children (of whom 39% were HIV-positive). In contrast to that of the TST, the sensitivity of the RD1 ELISPOT assay was not significantly affected by age <36 months, or the immunological or nutritional status of the subjects. Specificity was 100% in two UK-based studies. Isolated false positives have been recorded in patients infected with non-tuberculous M. kansasii. A study investigating latent tuberculosis infection found no significant difference in results between HIV-positive and -negative participants for the RD1 ELISPOT assay, while the TST varied significantly with HIV status. Contact-tracing studies have demonstrated concordance between the RD1 ELISPOT assay and the TST of 65-89%. There is a significant correlation between a positive result and the degree of exposure to the index case for the RD1 ELISPOT assay, but not for the TST, in contact-tracing studies. Unlike the TST, the RD1 ELISPOT assay is not confounded by bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination.