Background: The performance of Xpert MTB/RIF using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains unclear. Therefore, a systematic review/meta-analysis was conducted.
Methods: Studies published before December 31, 2019, were retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases using the keywords “pulmonary tuberculosis,” “Xpert MTB/RIF,” and “BAL.” Two independent evaluators extracted the data and assessed the bias risk of the included studies. A random-effects model was used to calculate the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR, respectively), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and the area under the curve (AUC), as well as the respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results: Nineteen trials involving 3019 participants met the inclusion criteria. Compared to the culture method, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR, and the AUC with 95% CIs of Xpert MTB/RIF were 0.87 (0.84–0.90), 0.92 (0.91–0.93), 10.21 (5.78–18.02), 0.16 (0.12–0.22), 78.95 (38.59–161.53), and 0.9467 (0.9462-0.9472), respectively. Relative to the composite reference standard, the observed values were 0.69 (0.65–0.72), 0.98 (0.98–0.99), 37.50 (18.59–75.62), 0.30 (0.21–0.43), 171.98 (80.82–365.96), and 0.9691 (0.9683–0.9699), respectively. All subgroups, except children, showed high sensitivity and specificity.
Conclusions: The use of Xpert MTB/RIF in the context of BAL samples has a high diagnostic performance for PTB (except for children) and may serve as an alternative rapid diagnostic tool.
Utility of Bronchoalveolar Lavage in the Diagnosis of Sputum Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis