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Aim: Evaluate the IS6110-Taqman system performance in sputum samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from health services in northeastern Brazil as a diagnostic laboratory tool for pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods and Results: 165 sputum samples from respiratory symptomatic patients were evaluated in the IS6110-TaqMan assay: 66 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 99 without TB. When the IS6110-TaqMan assay was evaluated using culture and/or clinical response to the specific treatment as the gold standard, IS6110-TaqMan assay obtained a sensitivity of 87Á9% and specificity of 98%. The performance of IS6110-TaqMan assay was also evaluated with the sputum smear microscopy, resulting in a sensitivity of 79Á7% and specificity 94Á8%. Conclusions: The IS6110-TaqMan was rapid, sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB. Significance and Impact of the Study: IS6110-TaqMan assay is a promising auxiliary tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB when used in conjunction with routine laboratory tests, clinical and epidemiological criteria of the patient, thus increasing the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis.

Aims: To analyse the performance of RT-qPCR using 85B mRNA in the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and in the assessment of the response to treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Methods and Results: Ninety-eight patients with signs of pulmonary TB were selected: 56 were considered infected with Myco. tuberculosis and they had positive cultures or evident clinical response to anti-TB treatment. Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were evaluated by culture and RT-qPCR for a 30-day specific treatment. It was found that both tests demonstrated a decline in viable bacilli at 15 and 30 days after the beginning of the therapy in most of the patients. The quantification of the 85B mRNA target was performed in 52 patients who had initially shown positive results by RT-qPCR and who were followed on the days 15 and 30 after the specific treatment. Thus 85B mRNA was detectable in sputum samples in 52 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis on day 0. During the specific treatment the 85B mRNA was detectable in 13 patients on day 15 and in only three patients on day 30. Conclusions: Mycobacterium tuberculosis mRNA in the sputum is a useful prognostic marker and its quantification, an early and reliable indicator for monitoring response to treatment, drug resistance, re-infection and relapse. Significance and Impact of the Study: RT-qPCR is a tool that can be used in clinical and therapeutic monitoring as an indicator of bacterial resistance and indicator of the period of transmissibility of Myco. tuberculosis in patients with pulmonary TB undergoing treatment.