FIG 1.

Diagnostic flow of the study patients. Among 272 patients with clinically suspected TB, 128 were finally treated for TB by respiratory or infection specialists who were blinded to the results of the SLIM oral swab assay. Confirmed TB was defined as culture-positive TB patients with at least one positive culture result for MTB from their sputum. Possible TB was defined as culture-negative TB patients with a high clinical likelihood of active TB and a negative mycobacterial culture finding in three or more sputum examinations, but with good clinical and radiographic responses to anti-TB treatment during follow-up without any evidence of an alternative diagnosis. *, six participants with TB not isolated in sputum but isolated from bronchial washing fluid were included. ^†, one participant who could not produce sputum was included. NTM, nontuberculous Mycobacterium.