Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2008.1728.1732SallehS.A. HussinS. RahmanM.M. 1220081113The aim of the present study is rapid detection of tuberculosis
from pleural effusion of suspected patients. Molecular technique Nested
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used for the purpose. A total of 67
pleural fluid collected at Hospital University Kebangsaan Malaysia during
May 2005 to October 2006 were sent to Microbiology Laboratory enrolled
in the study. Detection rate of Mycobacteriumtuberculosis
in pleural effusion was 0% by acid-fast bacilli (AFB) staining and 1.5%
by culture on Lowenstein-Jensen medium. Mycobacteriumtuberculosis
was detected by PCR in 9% of the cases. PCR of pleural fluid had 19% sensitivity
and 96% specificity, compared to AFB staining (0% sensitivity and 100%
specificity) and culture (4% sensitivity and 100% specificity). PCR also
has 67% Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and 72% Negative Predictive Value
(NPV) in detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Culture
of pleural fluid has 100% PPV and 71% NPV while AFB staining has 0% PPV
and 31% NPV. This preliminary study showed that PCR is a rapid method
for detection of Mycobacteriumtuberculosis in pleural fluid
but its sensitivity is not up the marked.]]>Angeline, A.L.M. Sean and R. Gilbert,2007531621Huggett, J.F., T.D. McHugh and A. Zumla,20033514071412Nagesh, B.S., S., Sehgal, S.K. Jindal and S.K. Arora,2001Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pleural fluid.]]>11917371741Pfyffer, G.B., P. Kissling, E.S.I. Jahn, E.S.I. Welscher, H.M.M. Salfinger and R. Weber,1996Mycobacterium tuberculosis direct test with cerebrospinal fluid, other non-respiratory and respiratory specimens.]]>34834841Radhakrishnan, I., Y.K. Manju, R.A. Kumar and S. Mundayoor,2001Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Kerala India.]]>3916831686Herchline, T.,20072007