Publications by authors named "Alaina M Olson"
Article Synopsis
- Tongue swab (TS) sampling combined with quantitative PCR (qPCR) shows promise as an alternative to sputum testing for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, although previous studies indicated lower sensitivity.
- Two strategies were evaluated to enhance sensitivity: one involved centrifugation to concentrate MTB DNA, achieving 83% sensitivity and 100% specificity, while the other utilized sequence-specific magnetic capture, resulting in 90% sensitivity and 97% specificity.
- These findings suggest that with further development, these methods could lead to more accessible and effective TB testing options.
Tongue swabs hold promise as a non-invasive sample for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB). However, their utility as replacements for sputum has been limited by their varied diagnostic performance in PCR assays compared to sputum. The use of silica-based DNA extraction methods may limit sensitivity due to incomplete lysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) cells and co-extraction of non-target nucleic acid, which may inhibit PCR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Tongue swab (TS) sampling combined with qPCR to detect (MTB) DNA is a promising alternative to sputum testing for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. In prior studies, the sensitivity of tongue swabbing has usually been lower than sputum. In this study, we evaluated two strategies to improve sensitivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Tongue dorsum swabbing may serve as a simpler alternative to traditional sputum collection for tuberculosis (TB) testing, with previous studies showing good detection rates using the Xpert Ultra test.
- In a study of 321 participants in South Africa, the Xpert Ultra achieved a sensitivity of 75.5% and specificity of 100%, while the Molbio Truenat MTB Ultima had a sensitivity of 71.6% and specificity of 96.9%.
- The results indicate that tongue swabs could enhance TB testing efficiency, and further refinements could improve diagnostic accuracy.
Article Synopsis
- Tongue dorsum swabbing is a promising alternative to traditional sputum collection for TB testing, showing high sensitivity and specificity with the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra test.
- A study with 321 participants in South Africa tested both Xpert Ultra and Molbio Truenat MTB Ultima using tongue swabs and found that Xpert Ultra had a sensitivity of 75.4% and MTB Ultima had 71.6%.
- The findings indicate that tongue swabs allow for easier sample collection and maintain accurate results, making them suitable for high-throughput TB testing.
Testing for mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in urine is a practical but insensitive alternative to sputum testing to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) in people with HIV (PWH). Here, we evaluated urine LAM testing alongside PCR-based tests for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA in tongue swabs. We hypothesized that the two nonsputum samples would deliver complementary, not redundant, results.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe gut microbiome is recognized as a critical regulator of human diseases. Constituents of the microbiota and their individual activities can affect a broad range of disease states related to autoimmunity, cancer, infection, metabolism, mental health, and toxicant exposure. A substantial number of microbiome species are not culturable, limiting their study in vitro.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOral swab analysis (OSA) has been shown to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). In previous analyses, qPCR testing of swab samples collected from tongue dorsa was up to 93% sensitive relative to sputum GeneXpert, when 2 swabs per patient were tested. The present study modified sample collection methods to increase sample biomass and characterized the viability of bacilli present in tongue swabs.
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