ArticleEBioMedicine2025
Diagnostic accuracy of swab-based molecular tests for tuberculosis using near-point-of-care platforms: a multi-country evaluation.
Article in EBioMedicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Start 4 All - DARE-TB
Start4All - Start Taking Action for TB Diagnosis SCREEN-TB
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Near point-of-care nucleic acid amplification tests (NPOC-NAATs) using respiratory specimens for detection of pulmonary tuberculosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- User perspectives on the Molbio Truenat platform and tuberculosis assays for decentralised testing in Mozambique and Tanzania.BMJ global health · 2026Trial
- Pulmonary Tuberculosis Detection with MiniDock MTB Using Swab Samples.The New England journal of medicine · 2026Trial
- Towards ending tuberculosis in South Africa: an uncertainty analysis of the programmes and factors most critical to future declines.Global health action · 2026Article
- Predicted Preferences for Tuberculosis Point-of-Care Tests Among Tuberculosis-Affected Individuals in 5 High Burden Countries.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026Article
- Diagnostic Performance of the Pluslife MiniDock MTB and Molbio MTB Ultima Assays to Detect Tuberculosis From Tongue and Sputum Swabs Among Outpatients and in Active Case Finding in Cameroon.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026Article
- Article
- Diagnostic Accuracy and Usability of the PluslifeDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Closing gaps through innovation in the tuberculosis pathology value chain.Journal of clinical tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases · 2026Review
- Cost-effectiveness of community tuberculosis screening in South Africa.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2026Article
- Rapid molecular detection of TB drug resistance from swab samples: a proof of concept study.IJTLD open · 2026Article
- A one-pot biplex RPA-Cas assay for sensitive detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from tongue swabs.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- "That is why I trust": a qualitative study on acceptability and feasibility of novel tongue swab diagnostics to assess people presenting with tuberculosis symptoms in Viet Nam and Zambia.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Diagnostic Yield of Tongue Swab- Compared to Sputum-Based Molecular Testing for Tuberculosis in Four High-Burden Countries.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026Article
- Tongue swab-based Targeted Universal Tuberculosis Testing in people living with HIV in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Diagnostic accuracy of Pluslife MiniDock MTB on tongue swabs in sputum scarce people with presumptive TB: a retrospective analysis.Research square · 2026Article
- Development of a Rapid Automated Point-of-Care Test formedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Preferences for tongue swab versus sputum collection for TB testing: a multi-country survey.The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease · 2026Article
- In-home molecular testing of tongue swabs and sputum to inform household-level screening with diagnostic escalation strategies for tuberculosis contact investigation: a prospective cohort study in South Africa.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Tongue swabmedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSwab-based molecular tests are emerging as more accessible and lower-cost options for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. We conducted multi-country diagnostic accuracy evaluations of late prototype versions of Truenat MTB Ultima (MTB Ultima) and MiniDock MTB Test (MiniDock MTB).
methodsWe enrolled consecutive people aged ≥12 years with presumptive TB at outpatient clinics in India, Uganda, and Vietnam. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of MTB Ultima and MiniDock MTB when using tongue and sputum swabs against a sputum liquid culture-based microbiological reference standard. Additionally, we compared the diagnostic accuracy of the swab-based molecular tests with that of sputum Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert) and sputum smear microscopy.
findingsFrom January to September 2024, 1050 participants were included in the tongue swab MTB Ultima evaluation, 197 in the sputum swab MTB Ultima evaluation and 322 in the MiniDock MTB evaluations. With tongue swab-based testing, sensitivity was 77.9%, 95% CI: 70.3, 84.2 for MTB Ultima and 85.7%, 95% CI: 75.3, 92.9 for MiniDock MTB. Both were more sensitive than sputum smear microscopy (p < 0.001, McNemar's test, for both comparisons). With sputum swab-based testing, sensitivity was 93.6%, 95% CI: 82.8, 97.8, for MTB Ultima and 91.1%, 95% CI: 82.1, 95.9 for MiniDock MTB. Compared to sputum Xpert, sensitivity differed by -6.4%, 95% CI: -15.5, 2.7 for MTB Ultima and -3.0%, 95% CI: -8.6, 2.6 for MiniDock MTB. Specificity exceeded 98% for all index tests.
interpretationMTB Ultima and MiniDock MTB exceed minimum World Health Organisation accuracy targets for sputum- and non-sputum-based near-point-of-care TB tests and offer strong potential to make universal molecular testing for TB a reality.
fundingNational Institutes of Health (U01AI152087), Gates Foundation, and Global Health Labs.
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Registered trials
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.