Application of the Roche Amplicor, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PCR) test to specimens other than respiratory secretions

The ability of the Roche Amplicor, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) test to detect M. tuberculosis in specimens other than respiratory secretions was evaluated. A total of 249 specimens from 219 patients were tested. Of these, 12 specimens grew isolates of the M. tuberculosis complex and four grew isolates of the M. avium complex. The Amplicor MTB test was positive for 10 of the 12 specimens which grew M. tuberculosis and for three specimens which were culture negative. Two of the latter specimens were from patients with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis and with multiple sputum specimens which grew M. tuberculosis. Four specimens grew M. avium complex isolates, and all yielded negative Amplicor MTB test results. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the Amplicor MTB test were 85.7%, 99.5%, 92.3%, and 99.1%, respectively. Our data indicate that the Amplicor MTB test will permit the rapid detection of M. tuberculosis in specimens other than respiratory secretions.