[Informative value of polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of a tuberculous process]

The informative value of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of a tuberculous process in patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis was studied. Sputum, urine, pleural and spinal fluids, and other specimens from 111 patients and 14 healthy individuals were tested. An analysis of sputum from 58 persons clinically diagnosed as having tuberculosis showed the following comparative sensitivity of the used methods: 82.8%, PCR; 65.5%, bacterioscopy; and 67.2%, inoculation. The detection rate of specific DNA from different samples was the following: 82.8% from the sputum, 66.6% from urine, and 54.5% from pleural fluid. The informative value of PCR in 14 patients with osteoarticular tuberculosis and in 39 with urinary tuberculosis was 42.8 and 40.6%, respectively. Thus, the application of PCR to a comprehensive examination of patients with tuberculosis of different sites is justifiable.