QUANTITATIVE REAL-TIME PCR (Q-PCR) FOR SPUTUM SMEAR DIAGNOSIS OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS AMONG PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Yvana Maria Maia de Albuquerque, Ana Luiza Magalhães de Andrade Lima, Ana Kelly Lins, Marcelo Magalhães, Vera Magalhães
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2014
• Subjects: HIV/AIDS/tuberculosis co-infection; Diagnosis; Real time PCR; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652014000200009; https://doaj.org/article/1bdb05193e3d421cbdaa34f47a964e68

Objective: To assess quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) for the sputum smear diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in patients living with HIV/AIDS with a clinical suspicion of PTB. Method: This is a prospective study to assess the accuracy of a diagnostic test, conducted on 140 sputum specimens from 140 patients living with HIV/AIDS with a clinical suspicion of PTB, attended at two referral hospitals for people living with HIV/AIDS in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. A Löwenstein-Jensen medium culture and 7H9 broth were used as gold standard. Results: Of the 140 sputum samples, 47 (33.6%) were positive with the gold standard. q-PCR was positive in 42 (30%) of the 140 patients. Only one (0.71%) did not correspond to the culture. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the q-PCR were 87.2%, 98.9% and 95% respectively. In 39 (93%) of the 42 q-PCR positive cases, the CT (threshold cycle) was equal to or less than 37. Conclusion: q-PCR performed on sputum smears from patients living with HIV/AIDS demonstrated satisfactory sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, and may therefore be recommended as a method for diagnosing PTB.