Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA on the oral mucosa of tuberculosis patients

Abstract

Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) usually includes laboratory analysis of sputum, a viscous material derived from deep in the airways of patients with active disease. As a diagnostic sample matrix, sputum can be difficult to collect and analyze by microbiological and molecular techniques. An alternative, less invasive sample matrix could greatly simplify TB diagnosis. We hypothesized that Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells or DNA accumulate on the oral epithelia of pulmonary TB patients, and can be collected and detected by using oral (buccal) swabs. To test this hypothesis, 3 swabs each were collected from 20 subjects with active pulmonary TB and from 20 healthy controls. Samples were tested by using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific to the M. tuberculosis IS6110 insertion element. Eighteen out of 20 confirmed case subjects (90%) yielded at least 2 positive swabs. Healthy control samples were 100% negative. This case-control study supports past reports of M. tuberculosis DNA detection in oral swabs. Oral swab samples are non-invasive, non-viscous, and easy to collect with or without active TB symptoms. These characteristics may enable simpler and more active TB case finding strategies.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection from oral swabs with Xpert MTB/RIF ULTRA: A pilot study

“…Participants were randomly assigned to one of three sample collection groups to assess collection methods and storage procedures: 1. Omniswab (Whatman, catalog #WB100035) in lysis buffer as described in (1,2); 2. Omniswab in phosphate buffered saline (PBS); 3.…”

Novel targeting of the lepB gene using PCR with confronting two-pair primers for simultaneous detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Mycobacterium bovis

“…Therefore, targeting the lepB gene base in PCR-CTPP is probably more suitable for diagnosis than for monitoring of TB treatment. PCR-CTPP based on the lepB gene should also be useful for TB diagnosis in other types of specimen such as CSF, pleural fluid or even oral swabs, a non-invasivederived specimen that was demonstrated to be successfully used in PCR-based TB diagnosis (Wood et al, 2015).…”

Acid fast bacilli detected in the oral swab sample of a pulmonary tuberculosis patient

“…Mycobacterium tuberculosis might be found in the oral cavity since the bacilli is passed from the lungs and airways to the oral cavity of pulmonary TB patients and then accumulated on the buccal mucosa. [7][8][9] This study was aimed to investigate acid-fast bacilli detection on the buccal mucosa epithelium of pulmonary TB patients. An oral mucosa swab was selected because, naturally, Mycobacterium species are more commonly associated with surfaces than with fluid matrices.…”

“…An oral mucosa swab was selected because, naturally, Mycobacterium species are more commonly associated with surfaces than with fluid matrices. 8…”