Analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) by means of One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) is gaining widespread use as a quick and accurate method. This assay detects the expression level of cytokeratin 19 (CK19) which is present in some but not all breast tumors. In this study, the clinical significance of negative CK19 was investigated in 219 cases of primary breast cancer. In 179 patien...

BACKGROUND Despite recent technologic improvements in identifying mycobacterium tuberculosis, we are still facing problems in rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis. The objective of this study is to determine the diagnostic value of a new rapid screening test (Patho-TB™) for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS Between September 2006 to August 2007, 178 patients were enrolled in the study w...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the leading killer of adults in developing and underdeveloped nations. HIV/ AIDS have also contributed to increase in the incidence of tuberculosis. In our study, we evaluated the significance of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the early diagnosis of occult sputum smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis. We could establish the diagnosis of tuberculosis in 20 (87%) of...

Early diagnosis of tuberculosis and screening of other mycobacteria is required for the appropriate management of patients. We have therefore developed a 5'-exonuclease fluorogenic PCR assay in a single-tube balanced heminested format that simultaneously detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) and members of the Mycobacterium genus (MYC) using the 16S ribosomal DNA target directly on c...

SETTING Primary health services in Cape Town, South Africa. STUDY AIM To compare tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic yield in an existing smear/culture-based and a newly introduced Xpert® MTB/RIF-based algorithm. METHODS TB diagnostic yield (the proportion of presumptive TB cases with a laboratory diagnosis of TB) was assessed using a non-randomised stepped-wedge design as sites transitioned to th...

BACKGROUND HIV-infected patients with pulmonary tuberculosis exhibit atypical radiological presentation and negative sputum smear more frequently than their HIV-negative counterparts. PATIENTS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective study based on a chart review of 146 HIV-infected patients with pulmonary symptoms and culture-proven pulmonary tuberculosis. We compared clinical characteristic...

Early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and prompt initiation of treatment are essential for an effective tuberculosis control programme. In many resource limited settings microscopic diagnosis is still the pivotal tool in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB. This study aimed at evaluating laboratory microscopic diagnosis of tuberculosis in a tertiary hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania. This retrospective hos...

OBJECTIVE To assess the increased diagnostic yield for pulmonary tuberculosis using bronchial washing cultures compared with sputum cultures. METHODS Study conducted with 61 adults in Lima, Peru, from January 2006 to December 2007. The yield of sputum cultures was compared with the yield of acid-fast bacilli smears and cultures of bronchial washing for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in sus...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance and feasibility of FASTPlaqueTB in smear-negative tuberculosis (TB) suspects in a peripheral clinic after laboratory upgrading. DESIGN Patients with cough > or=2 weeks, two sputum smear-negative results, no response to 1 week of amoxicillin and abnormal chest X-ray were defined as smear-negative suspects. One sputum sample was collected, decontaminated an...

SETTING In 2007, the World Health Organization recommended introducing rapid Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture into the diagnostic algorithm of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). OBJECTIVE To assess the cost-effectiveness of introducing a rapid non-commercial culture method (thin-layer agar), together with Löwenstein-Jensen culture to diagnose smear-negative TB at a district hospita...