Screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real-time PCR, TaqMan method; Northeastern Iran

Purpose: Effective and timely tuberculosis (TB) treatment depends on rapid reliable diagnostic techniques and is crucial for controlling global TB. The present study aimed to determine how many TB presumptive patients may have been missed by conventional sputum smear microscopy and culture methods....

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Main Authors: Sanaz Ahmadi Ghezeldasht, Arman Mosavat, Saman Soleimanpour, Seyed Abdolrahim Rezaee, Mohammad Derakhshan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-11-01
Series:Journal of Infection and Public Health
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034125002813
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author Sanaz Ahmadi Ghezeldasht
Arman Mosavat
Saman Soleimanpour
Seyed Abdolrahim Rezaee
Mohammad Derakhshan
author_facet Sanaz Ahmadi Ghezeldasht
Arman Mosavat
Saman Soleimanpour
Seyed Abdolrahim Rezaee
Mohammad Derakhshan
author_sort Sanaz Ahmadi Ghezeldasht
collection DOAJ
description Purpose: Effective and timely tuberculosis (TB) treatment depends on rapid reliable diagnostic techniques and is crucial for controlling global TB. The present study aimed to determine how many TB presumptive patients may have been missed by conventional sputum smear microscopy and culture methods. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021 in northeast Iran. A total of 307 TB presumptive subjects with negative Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining microscopy, and culture tests were evaluated using a lab made real-time PCR (qPCR), TaqMan method. The control group was 21 M. tuberculosis (M.tb) positive subjects from a referral TB center; Northeastern Iran. Results: All cases in TB-positive control group tested positive by qPCR. Out of the 307 negative culture and smear tests individuals, 50 (13.55 %) tested positive using qPCR. Failure rates for microscopy and culture were higher in urine samples; none were positive in smear and culture tests, but six out of 20 (30 %) were qPCR positive. Lower failure rates for conventional tests were observed in sputum samples, with 18 out of 53, and qPCR detected nine more cases. Furthermore, among 61 unculturable samples, one case was positive using qPCR technique. Overall, qPCR demonstrated a 100 % and 83.7 % sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Conclusions: In-house qPCR assays using standard reagents, which are generally available can confirm that this method more practical, time-saving, and feasible for TB-suspected individuals, particularly in extrapulmonary forms such as urine, CSF, and paraffin-embedded samples, compared to direct microscopy and culture.
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spelling doaj-art-95075ac0e3ff42cc86ad2d0e71c3304b2025-08-20T05:06:14ZengElsevierJournal of Infection and Public Health1876-03412025-11-01181110293210.1016/j.jiph.2025.102932Screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real-time PCR, TaqMan method; Northeastern IranSanaz Ahmadi Ghezeldasht0Arman Mosavat1Saman Soleimanpour2Seyed Abdolrahim Rezaee3Mohammad Derakhshan4Blood Borne Infections Research Center, Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR), Razavi Khorasan, Mashhad, IranBlood Borne Infections Research Center, Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR), Razavi Khorasan, Mashhad, IranAntimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, Shariati Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IranImmunology Research Center, Inflammation and Inflammatory Diseases Division, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Correspondence to: Immunology Research Center, Inflammation and Inflammatory Diseases Division Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Azadi-Square, Medical Campus, Mashhad 9177948564, Iran.Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Correspondence to: Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Azadi-Square, Medical Campus, Mashhad 9177948564, Iran.Purpose: Effective and timely tuberculosis (TB) treatment depends on rapid reliable diagnostic techniques and is crucial for controlling global TB. The present study aimed to determine how many TB presumptive patients may have been missed by conventional sputum smear microscopy and culture methods. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021 in northeast Iran. A total of 307 TB presumptive subjects with negative Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining microscopy, and culture tests were evaluated using a lab made real-time PCR (qPCR), TaqMan method. The control group was 21 M. tuberculosis (M.tb) positive subjects from a referral TB center; Northeastern Iran. Results: All cases in TB-positive control group tested positive by qPCR. Out of the 307 negative culture and smear tests individuals, 50 (13.55 %) tested positive using qPCR. Failure rates for microscopy and culture were higher in urine samples; none were positive in smear and culture tests, but six out of 20 (30 %) were qPCR positive. Lower failure rates for conventional tests were observed in sputum samples, with 18 out of 53, and qPCR detected nine more cases. Furthermore, among 61 unculturable samples, one case was positive using qPCR technique. Overall, qPCR demonstrated a 100 % and 83.7 % sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Conclusions: In-house qPCR assays using standard reagents, which are generally available can confirm that this method more practical, time-saving, and feasible for TB-suspected individuals, particularly in extrapulmonary forms such as urine, CSF, and paraffin-embedded samples, compared to direct microscopy and culture.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034125002813Northeast IranReal-time PCR TaqMan probe (qPCR)Tuberculosis (TB)
spellingShingle Sanaz Ahmadi Ghezeldasht
Arman Mosavat
Saman Soleimanpour
Seyed Abdolrahim Rezaee
Mohammad Derakhshan
Screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real-time PCR, TaqMan method; Northeastern Iran
Journal of Infection and Public Health
Northeast Iran
Real-time PCR TaqMan probe (qPCR)
Tuberculosis (TB)
title Screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real-time PCR, TaqMan method; Northeastern Iran
title_full Screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real-time PCR, TaqMan method; Northeastern Iran
title_fullStr Screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real-time PCR, TaqMan method; Northeastern Iran
title_full_unstemmed Screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real-time PCR, TaqMan method; Northeastern Iran
title_short Screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real-time PCR, TaqMan method; Northeastern Iran
title_sort screening of tuberculosis suspected subjects using real time pcr taqman method northeastern iran
topic Northeast Iran
Real-time PCR TaqMan probe (qPCR)
Tuberculosis (TB)
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034125002813
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AT samansoleimanpour screeningoftuberculosissuspectedsubjectsusingrealtimepcrtaqmanmethodnortheasterniran
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