Document Type
Article
Department
Pathology (East Africa)
Abstract
Background: Diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis continues to be a challenge due to the complexity of the causative organism and the wide array of pathologic features seen in this infection. Xpert MTB/RIF can be used on fresh or frozen tissue specimens for diagnosis of tuberculosis with good results. However, there is little data on its use with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential utility of Xpert MTB/RIF and to compare its performance to Ziehl-Neelsen staining for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from FFPE tissues using histological features from haematoxylin and eosin staining as the gold standard.
Methods: Eighty randomly selected archival FFPE tissues exhibiting histological features of tuberculosis were included in the study. After deparaffinisation and lysis, all the tissue specimens were subjected to the Xpert® MTB/RIF assay. The outcome measures were proportions of positively identified cases by each test.
Results: Using histology as the gold standard, the sensitivity of Ziehl-Neelsen staining was 20.3% (95% confidence interval: 12% – 30.8%), and the sensitivity of the Xpert® MTB/RIF assay was 53.2% (95% confidence interval: 41.6% – 64.9%); the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.002). None of the cases tested positive for rifampicin resistance.
Conclusion: With prior deparaffinisation and lysis, FFPE tissues are amenable to testing by Xpert® MTB/RIF assay. A validation study to determine the clinical utility, analytical optimisation and cost implications of this assay for FFPE tissues is recommended.
Publication ( Name of Journal)
African Journal of Laboratory Medicine
Recommended Citation
Njau, A.,
Gakinya, S.,
Sayed, S.,
Moloo, Z.
(2019). Xpert® MTB/RIF assay on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues in the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. African Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 8(1), 1-5.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_fhs_mc_pathol/172
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.