Table 1.
Newer Diagnostic Technologies for TB.
| Technology | Turnaround time | Sensitivity gain | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ziehl Neelsen | 2-3 days | [19] | |
| Solid Culture | 30–60 days | Baseline | |
|
| |||
| Liquid Culture | 15–30 days | +10% | |
| Rapid Speciation | Compared to LJ | ||
|
| |||
| Line Probe Assay 1st line Rif and INH (e.g., INNOLiPA Rif.TB and the GenoTyp MTBDR) | 2–4 days | Currently smear positive only | [20, 21] |
|
| |||
| Integrated Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (INH and Rif only) GeneXpert MTB/RIF | 90 minutes | +40% compared to ZN | [22] |
|
| |||
| The Microscopic-Observation Drug-Susceptibility (MODS) | 7 Days | +14% compared to LJ | [23] |
|
| |||
| T-cell-based Assays (Interferon-γ-based assays) | 16–24 hrs (if not batch run) |
Overall sensitivity gain unknown Sensitivity: 76% for QTF-G, and 90% for Elispot, unable to distinguish latent from and active TB, role in HIV infection uncertain | [24] |
|
| |||
| LED-based Flourescent Microscopy | 1-2 days | +10% Compared to ZN | [19] |
|
| |||
| TB Antigen Detection (Lipoarabinomannan –LAM Assay) | 3-4 hours Point of care testing available soon |
Overall sensitivity gain unknown 52% sensitivity in HIV+ patients, specificity 89% | [18, 25] |