Trollip A.P., Albert H., Mole R., Marshall T., Van Cutsem G., Coetzee D.
Biotec Laboratories South Africa Ltd., Cape Town, South Africa; Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Cape Town, South Africa; Médecins Sans Frontières, Cape Town, South Africa; Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Biotec Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PO Box 50615, Waterfront, Cape Town 8002, South Africa
Trollip, A.P., Biotec Laboratories South Africa Ltd., Cape Town, South Africa, Biotec Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PO Box 50615, Waterfront, Cape Town 8002, South Africa; Albert, H., Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Cape Town, South Africa; Mole, R., Biotec Laboratories South Africa Ltd., Cape Town, South Africa; Marshall, T., Biotec Laboratories South Africa Ltd., Cape Town, South Africa; Van Cutsem, G., Médecins Sans Frontières, Cape Town, South Africa; Coetzee, D., Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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. © 2009 The Union.
adolescent; article; community; controlled study; culture medium; diagnostic test; human; Human immunodeficiency virus prevalence; microscopy; performance; priority journal; sensitivity and specificity; South Africa; sputum analysis; sputum smear; tuberculosis; comorbidity; comparative study; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; lung tuberculosis; methodology; microbiological examination; microbiology; prediction and forecasting; South Africa; sputum; Comorbidity; HIV Infections; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Predictive Value of Tests; South Africa; Sputum; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary