Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40590556›Full record

ArticleJournal of clinical microbiology2025

Waste to worth: diagnostic accuracy of Xpert MTB/XDR on contaminated liquid cultures to salvage the detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Yonas Ghebrekristos, Erick Auma, Zama Mahlobo, Rouxjeane Venter, Natalie Beylis, Jay Achar, Brigitta Derendinger, Sarishna Singh, Megan Burger, Christoffel Opperman and 2 more

Abstract readEvaluation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of clinical microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Yonas Ghebrekristos *DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-2002-5240
Erick Auma *DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-7076-4944
Zama MahloboDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
Rouxjeane VenterDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
Natalie BeylisDivision of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Jay AcharDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
Brigitta DerendingerDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
Sarishna SinghDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
Megan BurgerNational Health Laboratory Service, Greenpoint Tuberculosis Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa.
Christoffel OppermanDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-6676-5431
Robin WarrenDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-5741-7358
Grant TheronDSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-9216-2415

Funding

VirologyP30AI036214 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI SUSAN JANET LITTLE · 1994 to 2026
$78.4M
The Center for Innovation in Point-of-Care Technologies for HIV/AIDS atNorthwestern University (C-THAN) Supplemental RequestU54EB027049 · NIBIB · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · PI Kara M Palamountain · 2018 to 2026
$24.0M
Rapid Research for Diagnostics Development in TB Network (R2D2 TB Network)U01AI152087 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI CATTAMANCHI, ADITHYA, DENKINGER, CLAUDIA MARIA · 2020 to 2024
$19.3M
HIV and Mycobacterial Disease in MaliD43TW010350 · FIC · UNIV OF SCIENCES, TECH & TECH OF BAMAKO · PI MAIGA, ALMOUSTAPHA ISSIAKA, MURPHY, ROBERT LEO · 2016 to 2025
$3.0M
Pre- and post-treatment lung microbiota, metabolome and immune signatures at the site of disease in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosisR01AI136894 · NIAID · STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY · PI THERON, GRANT DE VOS · 2019 to 2023
$678k
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership RIA2018D-2493European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership RIA2018D-2509European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership RIA2020I-3305FIC NIH HHS D43 TW010350NIAID NIH HHS P30 AI036214NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI136894NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI152087NIBIB NIH HHS U54 EB027049NIH HHS R01AI136894South African Medical Research Council Salary
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) 960 culture is critical for tuberculosis (TB) drug susceptibility testing (DST) but is vulnerable to contamination. We evaluated the accuracy of Xpert MTB/XDR, a molecular DST for isoniazid, fluoroquinolone, amikacin, and ethionamide, on to-be-discarded contaminated growth. Xpert MTB/XDR was applied to acid-fast-bacilli-negative, contaminated cultures from sputum from people with rifampicin-resistant TB when Xpert MTB/XDR on sputum was unsuccessful (not resistant or susceptible for all drugs), either at diagnosis (Cohort A) or during treatment monitoring (Cohort B). Future DSTs within 3 months served as a reference standard. We determined potential care cascade improvements. In Cohort A, 10% (66/650) of people had a contaminated culture; 89% (59/66) of contaminated growths were Xpert MTB/XDR TB-positive. Sensitivity and specificity for isoniazid, fluoroquinolone, amikacin, and ethionamide resistance were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] 85, 100) and 100% (79, 100); 100% (59, 100) and 100% (89, 100); 100% (16, 100) and 100% (91, 100); and 100% (72, 100) and 96% (78, 100), respectively. In Cohort B, 22% (28/129) of people with a contaminated culture were Xpert MTB/XDR TB-positive. Of these, 57% (16/28), 7% (2/28), and 43% (12/28) were isoniazid-, fluoroquinolone-, and ethionamide-resistant (in two, one, and four people, respectively, this would be the first resistant result). In both cohorts, time-to-DST could improve by a median (IQR) of 22 (12-42) days. Xpert MTB/XDR on contaminated MGIT960 cultures had high sensitivity and specificity for DST. This approach could mitigate culture contamination's negative effects and improve gaps in the drug-resistant TB diagnostic cascade. IMPORTANCE: Culture contamination is a common impediment to drug susceptibility testing for tuberculosis, the single biggest infectious cause of death globally. Xpert MTB/XDR is a World Health Organization-recommended rapid molecular test for second-line drug resistance. We evaluated Xpert MTB/XDR on contaminated liquid culture growth that would otherwise be discarded, with the people who provided these specimens potentially lost from care cascades. By applying Xpert MTB/XDR to contaminated growth in a high-volume programmatic laboratory, we found the number of people who had second-line DST improved, as did the number of resistant cases diagnosed and time to diagnosis. Furthermore, DST information was generated in people who otherwise would have had none. This approach can therefore reduce the effect of culture contamination on tuberculosis DST, permitting earlier diagnosis and effective treatment initiation and potentially ultimately contributing to improving clinical outcomes and reducing transmission of drug-resistant TB.

Indexed as

Extensively Drug-Resistant TuberculosisMolecular Diagnostic TechniquesMycobacterium tuberculosisTuberculosis, Multidrug-ResistantAdultAntitubercular AgentsFemaleHumansMaleMicrobial Sensitivity TestsSensitivity and SpecificitySputumAntitubercular Agentscontaminated culturesdrug susceptibility testingtuberculosisXpert MTB/XDR

Identifiers

PMID40590556
PMCPMC12345176

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.