(Press-News.org) Background: The identification of non-tuberculosis (TB) mycobacterial (NTM) infection remains a significant challenge. This study aims to investigate the diagnostic value of multicolour nested real-time fluorescence quantitative nucleic acid amplification detection technology [Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)/rifampicin (RIF)] in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) acid-fast smear-positive cases.
Methods: Between 1 January 2017 and 30 June 2022, 365 patients who underwent fibreoptic bronchoscopy and had positive acid-fast smears of BALF were examined using Xpert MTB/RIF. The mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) 960 was used for rapid sputum culture and traditional drug sensitivity testing. Combined with mycobacterial culture and drug sensitivity results, Xpert results of alveolar lavage fluid were analysed to guide diagnosis and treatment.
Results: The sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of Xpert detection for diagnosing NTM lung disease in acid-fast smear-positive cases were 100% (45/45), 99.68% (310/311), 97.83% (45/46) and 100% (310/310), respectively.
Conclusions: Xpert MTB/RIF in alveolar lavage fluid can not only detect RIF resistance but also distinguish pulmonary TB from NTM pulmonary disease in patients with positive acid-fast smears.
Keywords: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); acid-fast smear-positive; Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampicin (Xpert MTB/RIF); pulmonary tuberculosis (pulmonary TB); non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease
Highlight box
Key findings
• Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampicin (Xpert MTB/RIF) in alveolar lavage fluid can not only detect rifampicin resistance but also distinguish pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) from non-tuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary disease in patients with positive acid-fast smears.
What is known and what is new?
• GeneXpert MTB/RIF for rapid diagnosis of TB and rifampicin resistance.
• Xpert MTB/RIF in alveolar lavage fluid can not only detect rifampicin resistance but also distinguish pulmonary TB from NTM pulmonary disease in patients with positive acid-fast smears.
What is the implication, and what should change now?
• The GeneXpert MTB/RIF technology can be extended to the diagnosis of tuberculosis and can be combined with other NTB diagnostic methods.
END
Diagnostic value of GeneXpert MTB/RIF in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for pulmonary non-tuberculosis mycobacterial in acid-fast stain smear-positive and GeneXpert MTB/RIF-negative cases
Diagnostic value of GeneXpert MTB/RIF
2025-06-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
BGI Genomics successfully concludes first Southeast Asia training workshop
2025-06-13
BGI Genomics has successfully wrapped up its inaugural Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) Interpretation of Genetic Diseases Training Workshop for Southeast Asia, marking a significant milestone in international genomics education.
Held at the BGI Center in late May, the workshop brought together emerging healthcare professionals and researchers from Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam for a week of intensive, hands-on learning.
Comprehensive Learning Curriculum
The program aimed to improve genetic disease diagnosis in Southeast Asia. It offered both theoretical lessons and hands-on ...
Rare ovarian tumor discovered during postmenopausal vault prolapse evaluation
2025-06-13
“The incidental discovery of a pure SCT in an atrophic ovary during pelvic surgery in a postmenopausal woman is exceedingly rare.”
BUFFALO, NY — June 13, 2025 — A new case report was published in Volume 12 of Oncoscience on May 22, 2025, titled “A rare case: Pure Sertoli cell tumor uncovered in atrophic ovary during postmenopausal vault prolapse evaluation.”
In this case report, corresponding author Naina Kumar from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and team describe a ...
Innovative algorithm revolutionizes chip placement for advanced circuit design
2025-06-13
In the fast-paced realm of semiconductor technology, optimizing chip design to meet the dual challenges of performance enhancement and cost reduction has emerged as a pivotal focus. A new study published in Engineering introduces a groundbreaking approach to address this challenge, presenting an exact algorithm for placement optimization in mixed-cell-height (MCH) circuits. Led by researchers Binqi Zhang, Lu Zhen, and Gilbert Laporte, the work tackles the intricate task of arranging diverse circuit cells within constrained chip regions while adhering to critical design rules, including ...
Hereditary mutations in BRCA genes increase risk of rare lymphoma among women with breast cancer who received textured breast implants
2025-06-13
(WASHINGTON, June 13, 2025) – Women with breast cancer who were also carriers of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and received textured breast implants as part of their reconstructive surgery after mastectomy were 16 times more likely to develop breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a rare T-cell lymphoma, compared with similar women without these genetic mutations, according to a study published today in Blood Advances.
“Our findings show that BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are a significant risk factor for developing this type of lymphoma, confirming earlier suggestions of a possible role. It’s possible ...
Improving resilience to tsunamis and earthquakes via predictions of waste disposal times
2025-06-13
Tsunamis and earthquakes pose devastating threats to coastal communities worldwide. However, beyond the immediate destructive power of these events, the negative impact of the disaster waste they produce is sometimes overlooked. For example, when the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake struck, approximately 23 million tons of waste were generated, severely hindering post-disaster recovery processes. Similarly, the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake produced 2.7 million tons of waste—equivalent to seven years of normal waste disposal. Thus, rapid processing of disaster waste is essential for restoring community functionality, making it a critical ...
Scientists extend facial expression analysis system to include bonobos
2025-06-13
Researchers have successfully adapted a standardized system for analyzing facial expressions to include bonobos, our closest living relatives alongside chimpanzees. The study, led by an international team of scientists from multiple institutions including Leipzig University and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, extends the Chimpanzee Facial Action Coding System (ChimpFACS) to another species closely related to humans and chimpanzees, bonobos.
The research confirms that bonobos possess a repertoire of 28 distinct facial movements, including ...
SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin treatment stabilizes kidney function in patients who have had a heart attack
2025-06-13
Journal: Nature Cardiovascular Research – June 13 Online Issue
Author: Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA, Director of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and the Dr. Valentin Fuster Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Title: Secondary analysis of the EMPACT-MI Trial Reveals Cardiovascular-Kidney Efficacy and Safety of Empagliflozin After Acute Myocardial Infarction
Bottom line of study: SGLT2 inhibitors have become a major drug used to treat diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. However, there have been questions as to whether it is safe to use these drugs ...
City of Hope developed a foundational map of tumor cells for personalized brain cancer treatments
2025-06-13
LOS ANGELES — City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. with its National Medical Center named top 5 in the nation for cancer by U.S. News & World Report, co-led the first study to demonstrate that characterizing genetic material near chromosomes forecasts how mutated, cancer-causing genes reengineer DNA and alter the tumor microenvironment. The leading-edge brain cancer research provides foundational knowledge that one day will improve the practice of precision medicine and allow oncologists to deliver more personalized therapies to cancer patients.
Tiny DNA molecules ...
Pangolins in Africa hunted for food rather than illicit scales trade – with meat ranked as ‘tastiest’
2025-06-13
Study suggests that appetite for bushmeat – rather than black market for scales to use in traditional Chinese medicine – may be driving West Africa’s illegal hunting of one of the world’s most threatened mammals.
Interviews with hundreds of hunters show pangolins overwhelmingly caught for food, with majority of scales thrown away. Survey work shows pangolin is considered the most palatable meat in the region.
The vast majority of pangolin hunting in African ...
How solvents shape precision drug delivery
2025-06-13
Even the best products won’t meet expectations if they are packed poorly — packaging matters. The same goes for drug delivery.
Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have uncovered the critical role played by solvents in how effectively drugs can be loaded into metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a promising class of drug carriers. Their findings shed light on a previously overlooked part of the loading process, with the potential to boost the efficiency of how medications are delivered inside the body.
To treat diseases effectively, it’s not just the medicine that counts — but also how that medicine is delivered into our ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
ASU researchers to lead AAAS panel on water insecurity in the United States
ASU professor Anne Stone to present at AAAS Conference in Phoenix on ancient origins of modern disease
Proposals for exploring viruses and skin as the next experimental quantum frontiers share US$30,000 science award
ASU researchers showcase scalable tech solutions for older adults living alone with cognitive decline at AAAS 2026
Scientists identify smooth regional trends in fruit fly survival strategies
Antipathy toward snakes? Your parents likely talked you into that at an early age
Sylvester Cancer Tip Sheet for Feb. 2026
Online exposure to medical misinformation concentrated among older adults
Telehealth improves access to genetic services for adult survivors of childhood cancers
Outdated mortality benchmarks risk missing early signs of famine and delay recognizing mass starvation
Newly discovered bacterium converts carbon dioxide into chemicals using electricity
Flipping and reversing mini-proteins could improve disease treatment
Scientists reveal major hidden source of atmospheric nitrogen pollution in fragile lake basin
Biochar emerges as a powerful tool for soil carbon neutrality and climate mitigation
Tiny cell messengers show big promise for safer protein and gene delivery
AMS releases statement regarding the decision to rescind EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding
Parents’ alcohol and drug use influences their children’s consumption, research shows
Modular assembly of chiral nitrogen-bridged rings achieved by palladium-catalyzed diastereoselective and enantioselective cascade cyclization reactions
Promoting civic engagement
AMS Science Preview: Hurricane slowdown, school snow days
Deforestation in the Amazon raises the surface temperature by 3 °C during the dry season
Model more accurately maps the impact of frost on corn crops
How did humans develop sharp vision? Lab-grown retinas show likely answer
Sour grapes? Taste, experience of sour foods depends on individual consumer
At AAAS, professor Krystal Tsosie argues the future of science must be Indigenous-led
From the lab to the living room: Decoding Parkinson’s patients movements in the real world
Research advances in porous materials, as highlighted in the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU Knowledge Enterprise, presents a bold and practical framework for moving research from discovery to real-world impact
Biochemical parameters in patients with diabetic nephropathy versus individuals with diabetes alone, non-diabetic nephropathy, and healthy controls
Muscular strength and mortality in women ages 63 to 99
[Press-News.org] Diagnostic value of GeneXpert MTB/RIF in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for pulmonary non-tuberculosis mycobacterial in acid-fast stain smear-positive and GeneXpert MTB/RIF-negative casesDiagnostic value of GeneXpert MTB/RIF