Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2025
Author Spotlight: Optimizing CFU Determination for Efficient Assessment of TB Vaccine Efficacy and Antigen Presentation Analysis
Published on: July 28, 2023
Standardization of a stool concentration method for Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection in the pediatric population
Priya Rajendran1, Baskaran Murugesan1, Sarath Balaji2
1Department of Bacteriology, ICMR - National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Background:
The inability of young children to expectorate sputum and paucibacillary status of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) increases its diagnostic complexity. In this study, we aimed to standardize a stool concentration method for the detection of MTB and its drug resistance by line probe assay (LPA).
Methods:
The stool from 10 healthy children spiked with H37Rv in five different dilutions (1:1, 1:10, 1:100, 1:1000, and 1:10,000), and stool from 10 confirmed TB and 54 clinically diagnosed TB children were subjected to an in-house stool concentration protocol. All the processed filtrates were subjected to smear microscopy, solid culture, Xpert ultra testing, and LPA.
Results:
Of 10 control samples, growth was seen in four samples (neat 1:1). In smear microscopy, bacilli could be seen in eight samples (1:1 and 1:10). Xpert ultra testing could detect MTB in eight samples in all dilutions with different loads. LPA could detect MTB in all samples and dilutions. In microbiologically confirmed children, seven out of 10 stool samples tested were positive. Out of 54 children with clinically diagnosed TB, 4 (7.4%) could be confirmed by microbiological diagnosis.
Conclusion:
The protocol standardized in this study proves to be better working in the molecular detection of MTB.
