Authors: Trollip, A.P.¹; Albert, H.²; Mole, R.¹; Marshall, T.¹; van Cutsem, G.³; Coetzee, D.⁴

Source: The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 13, Number 6, June 2009 , pp. 791-793(3)

Publisher: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease

Abstract:

Modifications in the FASTPlaqueTB™ test protocol have resulted in an increase in the analytical limits of detection. This study investigated whether the performance of a modified prototype was able to increase the detection of smear-negative, culture-positive sputum samples as compared to the first generation FASTPlaqueTB test. Modifications to the FASTPlaqueTB did result in increased detection of smear-negative samples, but this was associated with a decrease in the specificity of the test. Before the FASTPlaqueTB can be considered as a viable replacement for smear microscopy and culture for the identification of tuberculosis, further work is required to resolve the performance issues identified in this study.

Keywords: mycobacteriophages; FASTPlaqueTB; HIV; diagnostic tests; South Africa; pulmonary tuberculosis

Document Type: Short communication

Affiliations: 1: Biotec Laboratories South Africa Ltd, Cape Town, South Africa 2: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Cape Town, South Africa 3: Médecins Sans Frontières, Cape Town, South Africa 4: Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Publication date: 2009-06-01

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• The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease publishes articles on all aspects of lung health, including public health-related issues such as training programmes, cost-benefit analysis, legislation, epidemiology, intervention studies and health systems research. The IJTLD is dedicated to the continuing education of physicians and health personnel and the dissemination of information on tuberculosis and lung health world-wide.

  Certain IJTLD articles are selected for translation into French, Spanish, Chinese or Russian. They are available on the Union website

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