Daum, Luke T.Peters, Remco P.H.Fourie, Petrus BernardusJonkman, K.Worthy, Sue A.Rodriguez, John D.Ismail, Nazir AhmedOmar, Shaheed VallyFischer, Gerald W.2015-06-192015-06-192015-05Daum, LT, Peters, RPH, Fourie, PB, Jonkman, K, Worthy, SA, Rodriguez, JD, Ismail, NA, Omar, SV & Fischer, GW 2015, 'Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sputum transported in PrimeStore(®) from rural settings', International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, vol.19, no. 5, pp. 552-557.1027-3719 (print)1815-7920 (online)10.5588/ijtld.14.0769http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45615SETTING : Mopani District, South Africa. OBJECTIVE : To explore remote, molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sputum transported using PrimeStorew Molecular Transport Medium (PSMTM) compared to settings where microscopy or Xpertw MTB/RIF is used as the baseline test. DESIGN : Two sputum specimens were collected from patients with cough of72 weeks at clinics in rural South Africa. Shortly after expectoration and before processing using Xpert, microscopy and liquid culture, a flocked swab was swirled in each of these specimens and placed in PS-MTM. Swabs were stored and transported to the United States at ambient temperature for real-time PrimeMixw polymerase chain reaction (PM-PCR). RESULTS : Of 132 patients, 23 (17%) were positive on microscopy, 39 (30%) on Xpert and 44 (33%) by PSMTM/PSMTM/ PM-PCR. Concordance of PS-MTM/PM-PCR with positive microscopy and Xpert was respectively 96% and 85%. Of 107 microscopy-negative samples, 22 (21%) were positive using PS-MTM/PM-PCR, while 11/91 (12%) Xpert-negative samples were PS-MTM/ PM-PCR-positive. PS-MTM/PM-PCR positivity was significantly higher than smear microscopy positivity (P , 0.001), but similar to Xpert (P ¼ 0.33). CONCLUSION: PCR testing of specimens transported in PS-MTM would enhance TB diagnosis in settings where smear microscopy is the baseline diagnostic test, and could provide an alternative in settings where Xpert testing is not available.en© 2015 The UnionSpecimen transportPrimeMixReal-time PCRSpecimen detectionMycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)PrimeStore(®) Molecular Transport Medium (PS-MTM)Postprint Article