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Updated: May 9, 2026

Diagnosing Pulmonary Tuberculosis with the Xpert MTB/RIF Test
Published on: April 9, 2012
Multiplex PCR for rapid diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis
Kusum Sharma1, Saroj Kant Sinha, Aman Sharma
1Department of Medical Microbiology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Background:
Rapid and specific diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis (GITB) is of utmost importance.
Aim:
To evaluate Multiplex PCR (MPCR) using MPB64 and IS6110 primers specific for M. tuberculosis for rapid diagnosis of GITB.
Materials And Methods:
MPCR was performed on colonoscopy biopsy specimens on 11 GITB confirmed (culture/AFB/histopathology was positive), 29 GITB suspected and 30 Non GITB (control group) patients.
Results:
MPB64 PCR had sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 100% for confirmed GITB cases. In 29 clinically diagnosed but unconfirmed GITB cases, MPCR was positive in 72.41%. MPCR was negative in all control group patients. The overall sensitivity and specificity of microscopy, culture, histopathology and MPCR was 5%, 2% 20% and 77.5% and 100%, 100%, 100% and 100% respectively.
Conclusion:
MPCR has good sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing gastrointestinal tuberculosis.
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