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Home / The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 18, Number 7

False-positive Xpert® MTB/RIF assays in previously treated patients: need for caution in interpreting results

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Xpert® MTB/RIF is the initial diagnostic test of choice for tuberculosis (TB). It is not known if false-positive results are more common in previously treated patients. We report four patients with successful treatment for TB up to 5 years previously who presented with respiratory tract infection and were Xpert-positive, but had negative TB cultures and clinical improvement without anti-tuberculosis treatment. We hypothesise that the Xpert results were false-positive due to the presence of dead Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli in lungs and sputum. Further work is required to determine the specificity of Xpert in previously treated patients.

Keywords: diagnostic test; specificity; tuberculosis

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa 2: Médecins Sans Frontières, Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa 3: Khayelitsha District Hospital, Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa 4: Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Publication date: 01 July 2014

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  • The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) is for clinical research and epidemiological studies on lung health, including articles on TB, TB-HIV and respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, asthma, COPD, child lung health and the hazards of tobacco and air pollution. Individuals and institutes can subscribe to the IJTLD online or in print – simply email us at [email protected] for details.

    The IJTLD is dedicated to understanding lung disease and to the dissemination of knowledge leading to better lung health. To allow us to share scientific research as rapidly as possible, the IJTLD is fast-tracking the publication of certain articles as preprints prior to their publication. Read fast-track articles.

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