Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification as an Alternative to Conventional Smear Microscopy in Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Timely and accurate diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a cornerstone of optimal disease management. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a simple yet potentially useful novel diagnostic tool for TB diagnosis that requires minimal resources. This pilot study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of TB-LAMP in diagnosing PTB in adults.

A prospective observational study was conducted, enrolling 100 adults with symptoms suggestive of PTB. Sputum samples were collected and subjected to smear microscopy, culture, GeneXpert, and TB-LAMP in parallel. A composite reference standard (CRS) involving clinical, microbiological, and radiological parameters was used for comparison. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the TB-LAMP assay and other diagnostic tests were calculated.

This study demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of TB-LAMP compared with the CRS of 74.36% and 91.80%, respectively. TB-LAMP helped identify cases that conventional techniques missed, highlighting its potential for early TB detection.

This study demonstrates the feasibility and diagnostic potential of TB-LAMP for detecting PTB in adults. Its sensitivity and specificity underscore its potential role in accurate diagnosis. However, further validation in a larger and more diverse cohort is required to support its integration into routine TB diagnostic algorithms.