Clinical specimens unfit for laboratory processing represent missed opportunities for diagnosing tuberculosis. Poor-quality cough specimens (n=61) from presumptive tuberculosis cases were cultured and GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) successfully performed on samples transferred by flocked swab into PrimeStore molecular transport medium (PS-MTM). Mycobacterium tuberculosis was grown in culture from 13 (21.3 %) and Xpert reported 15 (24.2 %) positive, of which 10 concordant. RT-PCR of PS-MTM samples showed enhanced sensitivity; three positives were missed by Xpert, five by culture and three more detected for a total of 21 positives (34.4 %).

中文翻译：

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劣质咳嗽标本中结核分枝杆菌的分子检测。

不适合实验室处理的临床标本代表了无法诊断结核的机会。培养了假定肺结核病例的劣质咳嗽标本（n = 61），并成功地对通过植绒拭子转移到PrimeStore分子转运介质（PS-MTM）中的样品进行了GeneXpert MTB / RIF（Xpert）处理。结核分枝杆菌在培养中从13个（21.3％）开始生长，Xpert报告阳性15个（24.2％），其中10个一致。PS-MTM样品的RT-PCR显示出更高的灵敏度；Xpert遗漏了3个阳性，通过文化遗漏了5个，另外检测到3个，总共21个阳性（34.4％）。