CARTRIDGE-BASED NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION TEST, AN IMPORTANT DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR TUBERCULOSIS BOTH PULMONARY AND EXTRA-PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

TUBERCULOSIS Current evidence on diagnostic accuracy of commercially based nucleic acid amplification tests for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Even though commercial nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have become the most frequently used molecular tests for laboratory diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), published studies report variable estimates of their diagnostic accuracy. We analysed the accuracy of commercial NAATs for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in smear positive and smear negative respiratory samples u...

Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Prevalence and treatment outcome of pulmonary and extra pulmonary pediatric tuberculosis in southwestern Iran

 Background: Knowledge about childhood tuberculosis (TB) in Iran is limited. This study aimed to determine the proportion of tuberculosis in children living in Khuzestan in southwest of Iran and its treatment outcomes.  Methods: In this retrospective study, the child’s medical records registered in national TB program (NTP) unit of Khuzestan Health Center (KHC) for TB treatment from 2005 to ...

BCG vaccine and pulmonary tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important public health problems in the world and has been declared as a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is one of the first developed vaccines to prevent TB. Unfortunately, BCG vaccine has had a limited duration of protection and has shown controversial and variable levels of efficacy, especial...

Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.

Table 1 : An overview of studies conducted by TRC in various extrapulmonary forms of TB. Studies No.of patients Mx + X-ray evidence No. of specimens Bac. proof HPE proof TB spine 304 93 13 85 50 29 TB meningitis 180 50 55 180 33 TB lymphadenitis 197 81 24 168 62 98 TB abdomen 193 74 48 156 40 51 Tuberculoma brain 108 44 9 13 61