RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS WITH THE LCX MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS ASSAY AND COMPARISON WITH CONVENTIONAL DIAGNOSTIC-TECHNIQUES

The LCx MTB amplification assay is a nucleic acid amplification test i ntended for the direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in respiratory specimens. We evaluated its performance on 2,001 conse cutive respiratory specimens; 78 mere culture positive for M. tubercul osis. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive v alues of this assay for all specimens compared to culture results were 88.5, 97.7, 60.5, and 99.5%, respectively. When referred to resolved clinical diagnosis of active tuberculosis, these values improved to 90 .2, 98.4, 72.8, and 99.5%, respectively.