Comparison of Xpert MTB/RIF Assay and the Conventional Sputum Microscopy in DetectingMycobacterium tuberculosisin Northern Thailand
Background.Despite low sensitivity in detection ofMycobacterium tuberculosis, sputum acid-fast smear remains the main diagnostic method. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of Xpert MTB/RIF assay versus conventional sputum acid-fast smear.Materials and Methods.A cross-sectional study was conducted at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand. Patients who were ≥15 years old and had clinically suspected pulmonary tuberculosis were included.Results.109 specimens from 57 patients were included. Using MGIT sputum culture as a reference standard, the sensitivity (SEN) and specificity (SPEC) for Xpert were 95.3% (95% CI, 84.2%, 99.4%) and 86.4% (95% CI, 75.7%, 93.6%). The SEN and SPEC for sputum acid-fast smear were 60.5% (95% CI, 44.4%, 75.0%) and 98.5% (95% CI, 91.8%, 100%). Xpert had significantly higher sensitivity (pvalue < 0.001) and lower specificity (pvalue = 0.022) than sputum acid-fast smear. Among 43 culture-provenM. tuberculosisspecimens, sensitivity of Xpert was 100% (95% CI, 86.7%, 100%) in acid-fast positive smears (n=26) and 88.2% (95% CI, 63.5%, 98.5%) in acid-fast negative smears (n=17).Conclusions.The good sensitivity and specificity of Xpert assay in detectingM. tuberculosisfrom sputum specimens may help in early diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, particularly among patients who had acid-fast negative sputum smear.