Comprasion of PCR and culture methods isolation Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the clincal samples

SUMMARY COMPRASION OF PCR and CULTURE METHODS ISOLATION MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS FROM THE CLINICAL SAMPLES Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that has begun to utilize at the diagnosis of tuberculosis is a rapid, sensitive and specific test, which is based on amplification of M.tuberculosis DNA in clinical samples.This method provides an opportunity to diagnose and begin the specific treatment within same day. However the primary objective of this study was to compare amplification techniques of their ability to detect M.tuberculosis in specimens. A total of 100 specimens, 50 sputum, 30 cerebral spinal fluid, ten pleura and sterile body fluid samples have been evaluated. The specimens of one 100 patients have been examined in Central Laboratory of Balcali Hospital. Out of 100, 38 specimens were MGIT culture positive for M.tuberculosis 34 specimens were microscopy positive and 47 specimens were PCR positive. The clinical data were resulted in the following outcomes when culture results were compared to PCR. The sensitivity of PCR was 100 %, specificities of each system were 86.9 % and positive predictive value was 88.2 % and negative predictive value was 100 %. When culture results were compared to direct microscopy; the outcomes were found as 78.9 % sensitivity, 93.4 % specificities of each system, 88.2 % positive predictive and 87.7 % negative predictive. Since there are too few numbers of tuberculous bacilli in the Sterile body fluids (cerebral spinal fluid, pleura) bacteriological methods are unreliable for early diagnosis of tuberculos. Because of this reason, there are some requirement to use new rapid diagnostic methods. The data presented represent a considerable number of specimens evaluated within a considerable number of patients. Since culture results take a IXconsiderable length of time, the study was thought to be conducted together with PCR culture methods. Key words: PCR, culture, M.tuberculosis, Ehrllch Ziehl-Neelsen, MGIT X