Acid-fast Bacilli Smear Research Articles

Microscopic versus culture methods for diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Our experience

Background: Tuberculosis is considered as one of the most reason for death worldwide including India. In India, population, destitution, lack of healthy sustenance, and profoundly blocked climate may help for disease with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The finding and treatment of tuberculosis in not in appropriate with regular strategies. Here we analyzed the location of M. tuberculosis with two traditional strategies. Materials and Methods: This study was completed to compare and conclude about outcome between the traditional AFB (Acid Fast Bacilli) microscopy and Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) culture strategy for recognition of Mycobacterium spp. in sputums from patients. Results: Among 100 examples, 57 (57%) AFB+ results were seen in microscopy with ZN stain. On LJ culture media, 62 (62%) AFB+ detaches were discovered which uncovers that the way of life could be a highest quality level for conclusion of TB.Conclusion: The AFB smear is fast, modest and explicit test for early finding of TB however Its affectability is low when contrasted with refined strategy in LJ medium which is the gold standard for the confirmation of tuberculosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis with atypical presentation because of unknown previous HIV infection – case report

Abstract Background People coinfected with tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are 20–37 times more likely to develop active TB disease than non-HIV-infected people. Syndemic interaction between HIV and TB epidemics has made testing for TB a must for HIV-infected people and vice versa. We present the case of a young male diagnosed with HIV infection, due to mandatory HIV testing for all TB cases in Romania. Case presentation A 30-year-old man was hospitalized for fever, chills and productive cough not influenced by previous antibiotic home treatment. He was admitted with tachycardia and bilateral presence of coarse crackles in lower pulmonary areas. Chest X-ray suggested bilateral bronchopneumonia; the results from blood tests showed inflammation, leukocytosis and anaemia. Hemocultures were negative. Under wide-spectrum antibiotic treatment, his general condition partially improved, but on the seventh day, chest X-ray revealed abscess in the left inferior lobe and the progression of previous lesions. Chest computed tomography revealed multiple large consolidation areas in both lung areas, a 13 cm diameter abscess and multiple mediastinal adenopathy of 2–4 cm in diameter. Acid fast bacilli smear from sputum was positive. After the diagnosis of pulmonary TB, anti-TB treatment was started; the patient was subsequently diagnosed with HIV infection. He received specific anti-TB treatment, and 3 weeks later, retroviral treatment was initiated. Clinical evolution was favourable and radiological appearance improved. In addition, he did not present any adverse effects of therapy. Conclusions HIV testing for all TB cases is a must because HIV-TB coinfection raises important diagnostic and treatment problems.

Evaluation of Thin Layer Agar 7H11 for Direct Susceptibility Testing of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex against Second Line Anti Tuberculosis Drugs on Smear Positive Specimens.

To evaluate performance of thin layer agar (TLA) 7H11 method for detection of ofloxacin (OFX) and kanamycin (KM) resistance in smear positive clinical specimens of patients with tuberculosis comparing the results with gold standard MGIT 960 system. Cross-sectional validation study. Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi, from April to September 2017. Acid fast bacilli (AFB) smear positive specimens submitted at the study place, were inoculated on TLA 7H11 agar. Growth was examined along with susceptibility of OFX and KM and compared with gold standard MGIT 960 system. One hundred and sixty specimens were evaluated. Sensitivity and specificity of TLA for OFX was found to be 100% and 99.3%, respectively; and PPV and NPV was found to be 90.9% and 100%, respectively. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 99.38%. Sensitivity and specificity of TLA for KM was found to be 80% and 100%, respectively. PPV and NPV was found to be 100% and 99.36%, respectively. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 99.38%. Thin layer agar is reliable, easy to perform and cost effective technique not only for rapid detection of MTB but also for drug susceptibility (DST) of second line anti TB agents. It is a suitable alternative to culture on LJ medium and can also be alternative to MGIT 960 system in resource-poor settings.

The benefit of stool mycobacterial examination to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis for adult and elderly patients

BackgroundIn patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis, who have difficulty in expectorating sputum, alternative specimens by invasive procedures, gastric aspirate or sputum suction, are not always available in the feeble elderly. Several studies report the benefit of stool test for pediatric or HIV infected patients, but few in adult patients. ObjectiveTo evaluate the benefit of stool examination as non-invasive alternative test to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. MethodsStool specimens were examined for mycobacteria in 187 cases of microbiologically-diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis between September 2013 and August 2017. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records to determine the positive detection rate of MTB with stool specimens and investigated factors related to MTB detection. ResultsAmong 187 patients included, positive rate of MTB in stool was 12.8% (24/187) by stool acid-fast bacilli smear, 68.1% (98/144) by TRC Rapid®, and 40.6% (76/187) by culture. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed two contributing factors to MTB detection in stool; cavitation and male. The adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) for cavitation was 2.9 (95%CI 1.48–5.69) and 2.1 (95%CI 1.08–3.93) for male. ConclusionWe recommend stool examination for those who are unable to give sputum and have risks for invasive procedures.

Actinomycotic osteomyelitis of a long bone in an immunocompetent adult: a case report and literature review

BackgroundActinomycosis is a rare, chronic granulomatous disease caused by Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria that colonize the oral cavity. Cervicofacial actinomycosis is the most frequent clinical presentation of actinomycosis, but hematogenous osteomyelitis at distant sites can occur in rare instance in immunocompromised or pediatric patients, only a few cases have been reported in healthy patients. Here we described a new case of distal femur osteomyelitis caused by Actinomyces in an adult patient who was immunocompetent and had no predisposing factors.Case presentationA woman aged 52 years with no history of trauma presented with severe pain, swelling, and increased local heat in the proximal area of the right knee 3 weeks after she first noticed discomfort. Magnetic resonance imaging showed persistent osteomyelitis of the distal metaphysis and diaphysis of the femur with a multifocal intraosseous abscess pocket. An incision and drainage of the abscess were conducted. The tissue culture, fungus culture, acid fast bacillus (AFB) culture, AFB smear, and tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction test results were negative. A pathologic examination confirmed the presence of actinomycosis. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous penicillin G for 8 weeks followed by oral amoxicillin-clavulanate for 6 weeks with repeated surgical debridement and drainage. After a 5-year follow up, the patient had no signs of recurring infection or complications and she had full range of movement in the affected knee.ConclusionsAlthough rare, actinomycotic osteomyelitis can occur in healthy people. Furthermore, actinomycotic osteomyelitis is easily misdiagnosed as tuberculosis in areas with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. To detect and identify the bacteria accurately, pathologic examination should be performed as well as culture tests, because the probability for culture confirmation of actinomycosis is quite low. The initial treatment is vital to a successful outcome without ostectomy or amputation.

Host Determinants of Infectiousness in Smear-Positive Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

BackgroundEpidemiologic data suggests that only a minority of tuberculosis (TB) patients are infectious. Cough aerosol sampling is a novel quantitative method to measure TB infectiousness. MethodsWe analyzed data from three studies conducted in Uganda and Brazil over a 13-year period. We included sputum acid fast bacilli (AFB) and culture positive pulmonary TB patients and used a cough aerosol sampling system (CASS) to measure the number of colony-forming units (CFU) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in cough-generated aerosols as a measure for infectiousness. Aerosol data was categorized as: aerosol negative (CFU = 0) and aerosol positive (CFU > 0). Logistic regression models were built to identify factors associated with aerosol positivity.ResultsM. tuberculosis was isolated by culture from cough aerosols in 100/233 (43%) TB patients. In an unadjusted analysis, aerosol positivity was associated with fewer days of antituberculous therapy before CASS sampling (p = .0001), higher sputum AFB smear grade (p = .01), shorter days to positivity in liquid culture media (p = .02), and larger sputum volume (p = .03). In an adjusted analysis, only fewer days of TB treatment (OR 1.47 per 1 day of therapy, 95% CI 1.16-1.89; p = .001) was associated with aerosol positivity.ConclusionCough generated aerosols containing viable M. tuberculosis, the infectious moiety in TB, are detected in a minority of TB patients and rapidly become non-culturable after initiation of antituberculous treatment. Mechanistic studies are needed to further elucidate these findings.

Findings from a pilot project to assess the feasibility of active tuberculosis case finding among seniors in rural Sichuan Province, China, 2017.

BackgroundChina has a substantial tuberculosis (TB) disease burden and an aging population. Seniors have a higher risk of developing TB disease compared to younger age groups. Active case finding (ACF) could help identify seniors with TB disease.MethodsFrom March to June 2017, we included ACF during annual physical check-ups for persons aged ≥ 65 years in Bayi, Sichuan Province. Seniors with clinical TB symptoms (i.e., cough lasting ≥ 2 weeks and/or hemoptysis) or one or more risk factors (e.g., previous TB disease, diabetes, and heavy alcohol consumption) were offered chest x-rays. We used acid-Fast Bacilli smear and solid culture laboratory testing for TB confirmation. We calculated the yield (i.e., cases identified among seniors screened) and cost per new each TB case detected. Focus group-interviews were conducted with health care workers and seniors to evaluate project acceptability. Participation rates and acceptability were used to assess feasibility.ResultsOf the 2,393 seniors residing in Bayi, 2,049 (85.6%) were enrolled in the pilot project. Of these seniors, 794 (38.7%) presented with at least one TB risk factor and 74 (3.6%) had symptoms consistent with active TB disease. Three seniors (0.2%)–each presenting with at least one risk factor—were diagnosed with active TB. The project yielded 146 TB cases per 100,000 seniors screened; the cost per case detected was $4,897. Most workers supported ACF if additional resources and staff could be provided. Seniors appreciated the convenience of this integrated health service approach.ConclusionsAlthough the yield was lower than expected, ACF appeared feasible in Bayi. Targeting seniors with at least one known TB risk factor could help detect previously unidentified TB cases. However, similar projects in communities with a higher TB prevalence are needed to further evaluate the yield and required resources prior to implementation on a larger scale. Findings from our pilot project should be combined with data from these future ACF projects to improve TB screening criteria.

Diagnosing TB with the Xpert Assay vs. AFB Smear Microscopy

The acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear, invented more than 100 years ago, is still employed for diagnosing active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). However, AFB

The Acid-Fast Bacilli Smear: Hail and Farewell.

The Acid-Fast Bacilli Smear: Hail and Farewell.

The diagnostic accuracy of Th1 (IFN-\u03b3, TNF-\u03b1, and IL-2) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10) cytokines response in AFB microscopy smear negative PTB- HIV co-infected patients

Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) microscopy smear remains the most widely used laboratory diagnostic technique for Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) in low-and-middle income countries. Although it is highly specific, the sensitivity varies between 20–80% in immune-competent people, with only 50% case detection among HIV/TB co-infected patients, hence the need to determine the diagnostic accuracy of Th1 and Th2 cytokine response in AFB microscopy smear negative PTB-HIV co-infected patients. A total of 86 participants were recruited; 70 (81.4%) AFB microscopy smear negative and 16 (18.6%) AFB microscopy smear positive. The AFB microscopy smear negative samples were then cultured using Lowenstein Jensen Medium with 46 being culture-negative and 24 being culture-positive. Blood samples were also collected, cultured using QFT-GIT and the supernatant (plasma) harvested to evaluate cytokine profiles using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. IFN-γ (P < 0.001), TNF-α (P = 0.004), IL-2 (P = 0.004) and IL-4 (P = 0.009) median levels were elevated in PTB culture-positive (AFB microscopy smear negative) as compared to PTB culture-negative (AFB microscopy smear negative) participants. Finally, when Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-2), Th2 cytokines (IL-6 and IL-10) and T cells were included in the logistic regression fit for PTB outcome, the predictive power of discriminating between those who were AFB smear negative in the diagnosis of PTB was good with cross validated area under the curve (AUC) being 0.87 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.96). This study provides evidence for the ability of Th1 and Th2 cytokines to determine PTB status in AFB microscopy smear negative patients co-infected with HIV.

Simultaneous amplification and testing method for Mycobacterium tuberculosis rRNA to differentiate sputum-negative tuberculosis from sarcoidosis.

We use the simultaneous application and testing method to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis rRNA (SAT-TB) with the endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) biopsy specimens to differentiate sputum-negative tuberculosis from sarcoidosis. In the first part, we validated the SAT-TB on the bronchial or EBUS-TBNA biopsy specimens from sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. In the second part, all EBUS-TBNA specimens for sputum smear-negative intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenopathies or sarcoidosis were tested with the SAT-TB, acid-fast bacilli smear, and culture. In the 16 sputum-positive tuberculosis cases, 5 showed negative SAT (2 nontuberculous mycobacteria and 3 had anti-tuberculosis therapies previously); the remaining 11 were positive. Of the 41 sputum-negative tuberculosis cases in the second part, five other diseases were negative. In the remaining 36 cases, 27 sarcoidosis cases were negative; 7 in 9 with sputum-negative tuberculosis were positive (77.78%). In these 36 patients, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of the SAT method were 77.78, 100, 100, 93.10, and 94.44%, respectively. The SAT distinguished sputum-negative tuberculosis from sarcoidosis significantly ( P < 0.0001) and identified cases with active M. tuberculosis as accurately as the conventional methods (κ = 0.912, P < 0.0001). We conclude that the SAT-TB may be an effective method for using biopsy specimens to differentiate sputum-negative tuberculosis from sarcoidosis.

Subclinical tuberculosis among adults with HIV: clinical features and outcomes in a South African cohort

BackgroundSubclinical tuberculosis is an asymptomatic disease phase with important relevance to persons living with HIV. We describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and risk of mortality for HIV-infected adults with subclinical tuberculosis.MethodsUntreated adults with HIV presenting for outpatient care in Durban, South Africa were screened for tuberculosis-related symptoms and had sputum tested by acid-fast bacilli smear and tuberculosis culture. Active tuberculosis and subclinical tuberculosis were defined as having any tuberculosis symptom or no tuberculosis symptoms with culture-positive sputum. We evaluated the association between tuberculosis disease category and 12-month survival using Cox regression, adjusting for age, sex, and CD4 count.ResultsAmong 654 participants, 96 were diagnosed with active tuberculosis disease and 28 with subclinical disease. The median CD4 count was 68 (interquartile range 39–161) cells/mm3 in patients with active tuberculosis, 136 (72–312) cells/mm3 in patients with subclinical disease, and 249 (125–394) cells/mm3 in those without tuberculosis disease (P < 0.001). The proportion of smear positive cases did not differ significantly between the subclinical (29%) and active tuberculosis groups (14%, P 0.08). Risk of mortality was not increased in individuals with subclinical tuberculosis relative to no tuberculosis (adjusted hazard ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.26–2.73).ConclusionsNearly one-quarter of tuberculosis cases among HIV-infected adults were subclinical, which was characterized by an intermediate degree of immunosuppression. Although there was no significant difference in survival, anti-tuberculous treatment of subclinical cases was common.Trial registrationProspectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01188941 (August 26, 2010).

GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay – A major milestone for diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin-resistant cases in pulmonary and extrapulmonary specimens

Background and Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is an endemic disease in Iraq. Many methods are available to diagnose pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). The most traditional test is the sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). However, it is well known for its low sensitivity and specificity. On the other hand, culturing AFB although considered the gold standard for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), yet it takes long time to confirm or exclude the presence of TB. The WHO has recommended the use of a gene-based molecular technique called GeneXpert (GX) MTB/rifampicin (RIF) for rapid and accurate detection of MTB in pulmonary and extrapulmonary (EPTB) sites. GX is a quick, fully automated system that can be easily used with minimal training. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the GX test for diagnosing MTB in pulmonary and extrapulmonary sites in Kurdistan/Iraq that is considered as an endemic area for TB, as well as testing the ability of this technique to identify the resistant strains of these bacilli to first-line anti-TB treatment. Methodology: A total of 925 (504 males and 421 females) patients attended the TB center in Erbil/Iraq from August 2015 to August 2017. These patients were clinically diagnosed or suspected to have TB. Two sputum samples were collected from each patient and subjected to AFB smear staining. The other portions of the sputum were examined by GX assay, and a number of cases were grown on the Lowenstein–Jensen media. For extrapulmonary fluid samples, the same tests were done. Results: Seven hundred and forty-three were pulmonary samples, and the remaining 182 cases were extrapulmonary specimens (cerebrospinal fluid, peritoneal aspirate, pleural fluid, urine, and blood). Of these, 575 had their AFB smears done which was positive for in 184 (32%) and negative in 391 (68%) cases. On the other hand, real-time polymerase chain reaction using GX technology was positive in 228 (39.65%) while negative in 347 (60.34%) cases. The sensitivity and specificity of the GeneX versus AFB smear considering culture as a gold standard were 94.9% and 80.1%, respectively. In addition, GX technique revealed that about 20 (14.3%) of positive MTB cases were resistant to RIF therapy. Conclusion: The current study displayed the real significance of using GX test in diagnosing MTB in pulmonary and extrapulmonary specimens to save time and to avoid unnecessary anti-TB treatment.

Bronchial Washing to Diagnose Smear-Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Introduction: Bronchoscopy with bronchial washing is useful for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) when sputum smears are negative. However, its indication has not been standardized. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study to assess the diagnostic value of bronchial washing in patients suspected with pulmonary TB. Methodology: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients diagnosed with pulmonary TB in Kosin university gospel hospital, a tertiary hospital with 969 beds in South Korea, from March 2017 to December 2018. We obtained three serial sputum samples for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear and culture, and all patients underwent bronchoscopy with bronchial washing for AFB smear and culture. Results: Fifty-six patients were enrolled in the study. Smear-negative pulmonary TB (SNPT) was diagnosed in 42/56 (75%) patients. Among the patients with smear-positive sputum, 14/14 (100%) showed culture-positive sputum, while smear- and culture-positive bronchial washing were seen in 7/14 (50%) and 12/14 (85.7%) patients, respectively. Among the patients with SNPT, 17/42 (40.47%) had culture-negative sputum and were diagnosed using the bronchoscopic washing. Conclusions: For patients with smear-negative sputum, it is necessary to perform bronchoscopic washing to increase the diagnostic rate of pulmonary TB. To control the transmission of pulmonary TB, it is necessary to use a fast and accurate examination method.

Predictors of tuberculosis treatment success among HIV-TB co-infected patients attending major tuberculosis treatment sites in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Introductiontuberculosis (TB) is the commonest opportunistic infection and cause of death in patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in developing countries. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 85% treatment success rate for all TB cases as an indicator of TB control. The study aimed at determining TB treatment success rate among TB-HIV co-infected patients and identifying predictors of successful treatment among patients in TB treatment sites in Abeokuta, Nigeria.Methodsit was a cross-sectional study among HIV-TB co-infected patients in the two major health facilities in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Socio-demographic characteristics with treatment history were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire. Sputum samples were collected and tested for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) using a standard method according to national guideline for TB treatment to determine treatment success rate. Treatment success was defined as any HIV positive patient with a diagnosis of TB by acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear positivity at diagnosis, who after 6 months of complete treatment becomes smear negative. Adjusted odds ratio was used to identify independent predictors of successful treatment outcome with confidence interval set at 95% and level of significance set at P < 0.05.Resultsa total of 109 HIV-TB co-infected patients were enrolled for this study. Fifty-nine (54.1%) were females, 106 (97.3%) were newly treated for TB. Eighty-five (78.0%) were treated in a private health facility. A total of 91 had successful treatment outcome with a treatment success rate (TSR) of 83.5%. Eleven (10.1%) died, 5 (4.6%) defaulted, 1 (0.9%) failed treatment, 1 (0.9%) was transferred out. Successful treatment was associated with being newly registered (i.e. receiving TB treatment under the DOTS program for the first time), receiving TB treatment for the first time (adjusted OR = 18, 95%CI: 1.5-482.3) and being treated at a private health facility (adjusted OR = 14.1, 95%CI 4.27-48.4).Conclusiontreatment success rate of TB among HIV-TB co-infected patients in this study slightly falls below the WHO target. Registration status and health facility type were predictors of treatment outcome among study patients. Patients and healthcare workers in public facilities were educated on HIV-TB co-infection management.

Rapid detection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis directly from clinical specimens using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction assay.

Background & objectives:Rapid detection of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is essential for the efficient control of tuberculosis. Hence, in this study a nested-allele-specific (NAS) PCR, nested multiple allele-specific PCR (NMAS-PCR) and multiple allele-specific (MAS) PCR assays were evaluated that enabled detection of the most common mutations responsible for isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) resistance in MTB isolates directly from clinical specimens.Methods:Six pairs of primers, mutated and wild type, were used for the six targets such as codon 516, 526 and 531 of rpoB, codon 315 of katG and C15-T substitution in the promoter region of mabA-inhA using allele-specific (AS) PCR assays (NAS-PCR, NMAS-PCR and MAS-PCR). The performance of AS PCR method was compared with phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST).Results:The usefulness of AS PCR assays was evaluated with 391 clinical specimens (251 Acid fast bacilli smear positive and MTB culture positive; 93 smear negative and MTB culture positive; 47 smear positive and MTB culture negative) and 344 MTB culture positive isolates. With culture-based phenotypic DST as a reference standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the NAS-PCR, NMAS-PCR and MAS-PCR assay for drug resistance-related genetic mutation detection were 98.6 and 97.8 per cent for INH, 97.5 and 97.9 per cent for RIF and 98.9 and 100 per cent for multidrug resistance (MDR).Interpretation & conclusions:The performance of AS PCR assays showed that those could be less expensive and technically executable methods for rapid detection of MDR-TB directly from clinical specimens.

Immunophenotyping of circulating mononuclear cells in active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Interpreting the interactions between M. tuberculosis and the host innate and adaptive immune defense mechanisms is mandatory for understanding the pathogenesis of active pulmonary TB (APTB). The aim was to describe the distribution of mononuclear cells in APTB and their relation to disease severity. A case-control study of peripheral blood CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B-lymphocytes, NK cells, T regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs) and monocytes by flow cytometry. The patients had clinical presentations of APTB, positive tuberculin skin tests, acid-fast bacilli smears and sputum cultures using BACTEC 960. There was a significant decrease in the haemoglobin level and the absolute lymphocytic count (p < 0.01), while both the neutrophil count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate showed significant increase in the APTB patients compared to HC with p-values < 0.001 and < 0.0001 respectively. Both the CD4+/CD8+ ratio and the percentages of CD3-CD19+ cells were significantly lower in APTB patients (p = 0.03 and p = 0.005 respectively). The percentages of CD4+, CD8+, CD3-CD19+, CD14+, and CD3-CD (16+56)+ cells showed no significant differences, when comparing either disease severity groups, or cavitated and non-cavitated groups of APTB patients. There was significant increase in the CD4+25+ lymphocytes in the advanced APTB patients than in the mild disease group (p < 0.05). B-lymphocytes and CD4/CD8 ratios were significantly lower in the APTB patients than controls with no association with disease severity. CD4+ CD25+hi Tregs were significantly higher in the advanced versus mild groups.

Treatment of Mycobacterium avium Complex Pulmonary Disease.

The pathogen Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is the most common cause of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease worldwide. The decision to initiate long-term antibiotic treatment is difficult for the physician due to inconsistent disease progression and adverse effects associated with the antibiotic treatment. The prognostic factors for the progression of MAC pulmonary disease are low body mass index, poor nutritional status, presence of cavitary lesion(s), extensive disease, and a positive acid-fast bacilli smear. A regimen consisting of macrolides (clarithromycin or azithromycin) with rifampin and ethambutol has been recommended; this regimen significantly improves the treatment of MAC pulmonary disease and should be maintained for at least 12 months after negative sputum culture conversion. However, the rates of default and disease recurrence after treatment completion are still high. Moreover, treatment failure or macrolide resistance can occur, although in some refractory cases, surgical lung resection can improve treatment outcomes. However, surgical resection should be carefully performed in a well-equipped center and be based on a rigorous risk-benefit analysis in a multidisciplinary setting. New therapies, including clofazimine, inhaled amikacin, and bedaquiline, have shown promising results for the treatment of MAC pulmonary disease, especially in patients with treatment failure or macrolide-resistant MAC pulmonary disease. However, further evidence of the efficacy and safety of these new treatment regimens is needed. Also, a new consensus is needed for treatment outcome definitions as widespread use of these definitions could increase the quality of evidence for the treatment of MAC pulmonary disease.

Risk for Tuberculosis Transmission: NAAT More Sensitive than AFB Smear

Triplicate acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smears have been the standard to ascertain tuberculosis (TB) transmissibility. However, smear-negative persons may

Role of Xpert MTB/RIF in Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of sputum-scarce, suspected Pulmonary TB patients

SettingA prospective observational study conducted in Medical college hospital, in a high-TB- prevalence region of northern Telangana, India. ObjectiveTo know the diagnostic role of Xpert MTB/RIF assay in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in sputum-scarce, suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients. DesignStudy period was between October 2014 and March 2017. Suspected pulmonary tuberculosis patients aged 15 years or more, who were sputum-scarce and conforming to the inclusion criteria were submitted to bronchoscopy. BALF thus obtained was submitted to smear for acid fast bacilli (AFB) and Xpert MTB/RIF assay as index tests along with culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Culture for M. tuberculosis complex was considered as gold standard for the diagnosis of PTB. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were calculated for smear AFB and Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Results56 of the 81 patients were included and evaluated in the final analysis. In 10 of these 56 patients PTB was confirmed by culture positivity. The sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF assay was 90% (9/10,95%CI 59.6- 98.2) and 52.2% (24/46, 95%CI 38. 1-65.9) respectively and that of the smear AFB was 60% (6/10, 95%CI 31.2–83.1) and 67.4% (31/46, 95%CI 53.0–79.1). All the patients considered ‘probable’ PTB (pending culture results), were administered antituberculous treatment and showed complete clinicoradiological improvement on follow up. Three of the 31 Xpert MTB/RIF positive patients were detected as resistance to rifampicin (RR). ConclusionsXpert MTB/RIF assay of BALF in the study cohort provides rapid diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and detection of rifampicin resistance at the very outset, aiding in selection of appropriate ATT regimen. In this context, it can be recommended as the first line investigation. Xpert MTB/RIF assay aided by HRCT Chest and suggestive clinical presentation may be helpful in early institution of ATT especially in smear negative, culture negative cases.