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Diagnostic Value of the Amplicor PCR Assay for Initial Diagnosis and Assessment of Treatment Response for Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Author(s) -
Iinuma Yoshitsugu,
Ichiyama Satoshi,
Yamori Sadaaki,
Oohama Jinya,
Takagi Norio,
Hasegawa Yoshinori,
Shimokata Kaoru,
Nakashima Nobuo
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1998.tb02284.x
Subject(s) - tuberculosis , chemotherapy , pulmonary tuberculosis , polymerase chain reaction , medicine , gastroenterology , biology , virology , pathology , biochemistry , gene
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.