Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 seroprevalence among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies in patients with tuberculosis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at an outpatient tuberculosis clinic in Alvorada, RS, Brazil, with data collection between October and December 2020. Outpatients aged>18 years with active pulmonary tuberculosis, no prior history of coronavirus disease 2019, and no suspected coronavirus disease 2019 were included in the study. Whole blood samples were collected to perform the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies test. Results: During the study period, 52 patients met the inclusion and were included in the analysis. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies were positive in 16 (30.8%) patients. Male sex was more frequent among patients with negative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies than in patients with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies (86.1 vs. 56.3%, p=0.031). Contact with coronavirus disease 2019 case was more common in patients with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies compared with patients with negative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies (87.5 vs. 8.3%, p<0.0001). In a multivariate analysis, in a model including the variables such as male sex and contact with coronavirus disease 2019 case, only contact with coronavirus disease 2019 was independently associated with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies (OR 77.0, 95%CI 11.5-512.4, p<0.0001). Conclusion: This study revealed a seroprevalence of 30.8% severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 among patients with tuberculosis

Impact of introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF test on tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in a city with high TB incidence in Brazil

Background Xpert MTB/RIF is increasingly used in many countries as the initial diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB). Few studies have evaluated the effect of Xpert on TB diagnosis under programmatic conditions in Brazil. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF on TB diagnosis in a city with high TB incidence in Brazil. Methods We included patients evaluated with conventional diagnostic tests during one year before Xpert introduction (pre-Xpert group) and patients evaluated using Xpert during one year after the test introduction (post-Xpert group). Results 620 patients met the inclusion criteria (208 in the pre-Xpert group and 412 in the postXpert group) and were included in the analysis. The time until TB diagnosis was shorter in post-Xpert group (0.7 day, IQR: 0.5–1.0 day) than in pre-Xpert group (2.0 days, IQR: 2.0– 2.0 days) (p<0.0001). Atypical disease characteristics, such as less weight loss, fever, dyspnea, night sweats, and hemoptysis; a negative sputum smear; a negative culture, and a chest X-ray atypical of TB were more common in post-Xpert group than in pre-Xpert group (p<0.0001 for all). Conclusions We found that the implementation of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay, under programmatic conditions, improve and facilitate TB diagnosis, especially in cases with atypical disease manifestations. These results are likely to be generalizable to settings with a similar high TB incidence

Impact of introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF test on tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in a city with high TB incidence in Brazil

Background Xpert MTB/RIF is increasingly used in many countries as the initial diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB). Few studies have evaluated the effect of Xpert on TB diagnosis under programmatic conditions in Brazil. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF on TB diagnosis in a city with high TB incidence in Brazil. Methods We included patients evaluated with conventional diagnostic tests during one year before Xpert introduction (pre-Xpert group) and patients evaluated using Xpert during one year after the test introduction (post-Xpert group). Results 620 patients met the inclusion criteria (208 in the pre-Xpert group and 412 in the postXpert group) and were included in the analysis. The time until TB diagnosis was shorter in post-Xpert group (0.7 day, IQR: 0.5–1.0 day) than in pre-Xpert group (2.0 days, IQR: 2.0– 2.0 days) (p<0.0001). Atypical disease characteristics, such as less weight loss, fever, dyspnea, night sweats, and hemoptysis; a negative sputum smear; a negative culture, and a chest X-ray atypical of TB were more common in post-Xpert group than in pre-Xpert group (p<0.0001 for all). Conclusions We found that the implementation of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay, under programmatic conditions, improve and facilitate TB diagnosis, especially in cases with atypical disease manifestations. These results are likely to be generalizable to settings with a similar high TB incidence

Impact of introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF test on tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in a city with high TB incidence in Brazil

Background Xpert MTB/RIF is increasingly used in many countries as the initial diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB). Few studies have evaluated the effect of Xpert on TB diagnosis under programmatic conditions in Brazil. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF on TB diagnosis in a city with high TB incidence in Brazil. Methods We included patients evaluated with conventional diagnostic tests during one year before Xpert introduction (pre-Xpert group) and patients evaluated using Xpert during one year after the test introduction (post-Xpert group). Results 620 patients met the inclusion criteria (208 in the pre-Xpert group and 412 in the postXpert group) and were included in the analysis. The time until TB diagnosis was shorter in post-Xpert group (0.7 day, IQR: 0.5–1.0 day) than in pre-Xpert group (2.0 days, IQR: 2.0– 2.0 days) (p<0.0001). Atypical disease characteristics, such as less weight loss, fever, dyspnea, night sweats, and hemoptysis; a negative sputum smear; a negative culture, and a chest X-ray atypical of TB were more common in post-Xpert group than in pre-Xpert group (p<0.0001 for all). Conclusions We found that the implementation of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay, under programmatic conditions, improve and facilitate TB diagnosis, especially in cases with atypical disease manifestations. These results are likely to be generalizable to settings with a similar high TB incidence

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the detection of tuberculosis with Xpert MTB/RIF test.

<p>(The area under the ROC curve was 0.95 for the Xpert MTB/RIF test [95% CI 0.93 to 0.97; p<0.0001]).</p

Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of Xpert MTB/RIF, using culture as gold standard.

<p>Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of Xpert MTB/RIF, using culture as gold standard.</p

Characteristics of study patients.

<p>Characteristics of study patients.</p