[Microbiological evaluation of the cases prediagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis based on clinical and radiological...

In the present study, 34 new pulmonary tuberculosis cases prediagnosed upon clinical and radiological findings, have been evaluated by means of microbiological aspects such as microscopy [Ehrlich-Ziehl Neelsen (EZN) and Auramin-Rhodamine (A-R) stains], culture [inoculation into Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) media] and three different molecular methods [Cobas Amplicor Mycobacterium tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Gen-Probe amplified M. tuberculosis direct test and TaqMan Real Time ABI 5700 PCR]. M.tuberculosis positivity of the sputum samples were 55.8% (n: 19) with EZN staining, 52.9% (n: 18) with A-R staining and 58.8% (n: 20) with culture methods. Among molecular techniques, Cobas Amplicor and TaqMan PCR yielded positive results in 21 patients (61.7%), however, the positivity rate of Gen-Probe AMTD was 47.0% (n: 16). Of 34 samples, 10 (29.4%) were found to be positive with all of the methods used, while six (17.6%) of them were negative with all methods. It can be concluded that molecular methods may aid to the diagnosis of tuberculosis, in conjunction with clinical findings and bacteriological results.