Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41068585›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2025

Performance of the low-cost phenotypic thin-layer agar MDR/XDR-TB Colour Test (first generation, 1G, Color Plate Test) for identifying drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in a resource-limited setting.

Binyam Mebrat, Juan I Garcia, Yimtubezenash Woldeamanuel, Kelemework Adane, Amberlee Hicks, Melaku Tilahun, Sebsib Neway, Lelisa Oluma, Abay Atnafu, Jonathan Gelfond and 4 more

Abstract read
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Article in BMC 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.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Binyam Mebrat *Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. binyammebrat@gmail.com.
Juan I Garcia *Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Yimtubezenash WoldeamanuelDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Kelemework AdaneDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Amberlee HicksPopulation Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Melaku TilahunArmauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Sebsib NewayArmauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Lelisa OlumaArmauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Abay AtnafuArmauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Jonathan GelfondPopulation Health Sciences Department., UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Carlton A EvansIFHAD: Innovation for Health And Development, Section of Adult Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Jordi B TorrellesPopulation Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Shu-Hua WangInternational Center for the Advancement of Research & Education (I•CARE), Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Liya Wassie *Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Funding

Improving rapid phenotypic drug susceptibility testing for drug resistant tuberculosis in high-burden areasR01AI176309 · NIAID · TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI BLANCA I RESTREPO, Jordi B Torrelles · 2023 to 2026
$3.5M
Ethiopia-Emory TB Research Training ProgramD43TW009127 · FIC · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI HENRY M BLUMBERG, Kidist Bobosha · 2013 to 2026
$3.4M
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW009127NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI176309NIH National Institute of Health /NIAID R21-AI150445NIH/NIAID R01 AI-176309NIH- the National Institutes of Health NIAID -National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases P30-AI168439Wellcome Trust MR/K007467/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe accessible, easy to use and timely, diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) drug-susceptibility, is often challenging, particularly in resource-constrained settings. We therefore evaluated the phenotypic thin-layer agar based MDR/XDR-TB Colour Test, also known as the "First Generation (1G) Color Plate Test (TB-CX)" performance for detecting resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates to selected anti-TB drugs versus other tests routinely used in our setting.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on Mtb clinical isolates stored at the Armauer Hansen Research Institute TB laboratory in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Drug-susceptibility testing was performed on 78 Mtb isolates for isoniazid, rifampicin, and moxifloxacin using the Colour Test and the Indirect Proportional Method (IPM) "in house" assay. Isoniazid and rifampicin were also evaluated by the Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) commercially available assay. Test accuracy was calculated as % agreement with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

resultsThe median (range) times in days determining Mtb resistance or susceptibility for the Colour Test, IPM and MGIT assays were of 9 (5-18), 15 (13-18) and 19 (14-21) days, respectively. The Colour Test provided results significantly (p < 0.001) more rapidly than the IPM or MGIT assays. The colour test showed a sensitivity and specificity of 91%(95% CI: 87-96) and 87%(95% CI:75-95) for detecting isoniazid resistance,and 93%(95% CI:81-99) and 92%(95% CI:82-97) for detecting rifampicin resistance, respectively, when compared to MGIT DST. For detecting MDR-TB the sensitivity and specificity were 90%(95% CI:76-97) and 96%(95% CI:88-99),respectively. The colour test showed a sensitivity of 97%(95%CI = 87-100) and specificity of 89% (95%CI = 79-96) for detecting isoniazid resistance while for rifampicin resistance,it showed a sensitivity of 82%(95%CI = 64-93)and a specificity of 80%(95% CI = 68-90) rifampicin resistance. Colour Test accuracy compared to IPM to detect isoniazid, rifampicin resistance and MDR-TB was 92% (95%CI = 86-98), 81% (95%CI = 72-90), and 90% (95%CI = 83-96). IPM test accuracy compared to MGIT DST for detecting isoniazid and rifampicin resistance and MDR-TB was 91% (95%CI = 85-97), 83% (95%CI = 75-92), and 85% (95%CI = 77-93), respectively. Moxifloxacin drug-susceptibility testing could not be assessed because only two isolates showed evidence of resistance.

conclusionThe accuracy of Mtb drug-susceptibility testing was similar comparing: Colour Test versus IPM, Colour Test versus MGIT; and comparing IPM versus MGIT. The Colour Test was easy to use and determined drug-susceptibility significantly more rapidly than the IPM and MGIT assays. Thus, implementing the Colour Test in clinical settings could make drug-susceptibility testing more accessible and rapid in high TB burden, and resource-constrained settings, including in Ethiopia.

Indexed as

Antitubercular AgentsExtensively Drug-Resistant TuberculosisMycobacterium tuberculosisTuberculosis, Multidrug-ResistantAgarCross-Sectional StudiesDrug Resistance, Multiple, BacterialEthiopiaHumansIsoniazidMicrobial Sensitivity TestsMoxifloxacinPhenotypeResource-Limited SettingsRifampinSensitivity and SpecificityAgarAntitubercular AgentsIsoniazidMoxifloxacinRifampinDiagnosisDrug-resistant TBDrug susceptibility testFirst generation (1G) Color Plate TestMDR/XDR-TB Colour TestMycobacterium tuberculosisThin-layer agar

Identifiers

PMID41068585
PMCPMC12512722

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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.