TABLE 5.

Analysis of 15 specimens from 13 patients culture positive for M. tuberculosis and negative for COBAS AMPLICOR MTB

Type of specimen	Clinical groupa	Smear result	No. of days to positive cultureb	Comments	Final interpretation of PCR result
Bronchoalveolar lavage	4	Negative	22 (B)	On treatment for 14 wk, 2 of 3 specimens PCR positive	False negative
	4	Negative	22 (B)	Previously treated for TB 2 yr ago, clinical signs of reactivated disease, subsequent specimens PCR positive	False negative
Sputum	4	Positive	35 (B)	On treatment for 4 wk, active TB	False negative
	4	Negative	20 (B)	On treatment for 12 wk, active TB	False negative
	1	Negative	32 (B)	No evidence of TB, presence of MOTT excluded, possible culture contamination, subsequent specimens culture negative	True negative
	4	Negative	14 (B)	On treatment for 12 wk, clinical data unavailable	False negative
	4	Negative	18 (B)	On treatment for 3 wk, radiological and clinical signs of active TB	False negative
	4	Negative	30 (ESP)	Previously treated for TB 3 yr ago, human immunodeficiency virus positive, clinical signs of active TB	False negative
	4	Positive	45 (B)	On treatment for 8 wk, active TB	False negative
Ascitic fluid	4	Negative	24 (B)	On treatment for 16 wk, severe lung disease	False negative
Aspirate	4	Negative	21 (B)	On treatment for 9 wk, clinical signs of active TB	False negative
Blood	4	Negative	35 (B)	On treatment for 14 wk, subsequent specimens PCR positive	False negative
Cerebrospinal fluid	4	Negative	7 (Ki)	Clinical data unavailable	False negative
Pleural exudate	1	Negative	33 (B)	No evidence of TB, APr negativec, presence of MOTT suspected, subsequent cultures negative	True negative
Wound swab	4	Negative	26 (B)	Skin TB, two consecutive specimens culture positive	False negative

^aThe clinical classification is given in Table 1. Four culture-positive stool specimens and one pleural exudate which showed an inhibition in the PCR assay are not listed. 

^bB, BACTEC; Ki, Kirchner medium; ESP, ESP Myco II medium. 

^cAPr, Accuprobe M. tuberculosis test (Gen-Probe, Inc., San Diego, Calif.).