Clinical evaluation of Gen-Probe's amplified mycobacterium tuberculosis direct test for rapid diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Egyptian children at risk for infection.

Abstract

Abstract Context.—Diagnostic detection of tuberculosis (TB) has improved considerably. Available, standardized, nucleic acid–based amplification techniques have been shown to yield reliable results within 4 to 7 hours of sample processing. Objective.—To study the diagnostic performance of Gen-Probe's technique for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in comparison with BACTEC 460 TB culture for both positive and negative Ziehl-Neelsen smears in Egyptian children at risk for TB infection. Design.—We prospectively evaluated 50 children from families with a positive history of TB. All patients were referred from outpatient clinics of the Mansoura University Children's Hospital, Egypt. The children had a positive tuberculin skin test with an induration diameter of more than 10 mm and had scars from a bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination within the past 2 years. Three consecutive sputum samples were taken from each patient. The samples were examined to detect M tuberculosis by means of the Gen-Probe t...