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The possibility to obtain DNA from smears is a valuable alternative to remedy the lack of samples when they are totally used for bacilloscopy; this technique solves the biosafety problem related to a possible accident with the transportation of flasks containing potentially transmissible clinical samples. Hence, the purpose of this study was to utilize the insertion sequence IS6110 for amplification of DNA from a smear-positive sample for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Among the 52 positive bacilloscopies, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 52.3 %, 100 %, 100 % and 89.7 %, respectively whereas accuracy was 90.7 %. The IS6110-based PCR for TB diagnosis developed in DNA extracted from a positive smear is a fast, simple, specific, and safe method.

The purpose of this study was to assess the increase in positive results of bacteriological diagnostic tests for tuberculosis with the utilization of culture at a referral hospital for tuberculosis (TB). A retrospective analysis was conducted based on the positive bacteriological results obtained at the Júlia Kubistchek Hospital. The number of bacteriological diagnoses was increased by 24.6 % with the utilization of culture of sputum samples and by 56.1% of bronchoalveolar lavage samples.With regard to pleural fluid, all six positive cultures were negative for bacilloscopy. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in 59.6 % of positive cultures. Since mycobacterial culture was not undertaken for all clinical samples, this procedure is an important laboratory routine at the Júlia Kubistchek Hospital in order to learn the real TB prevalence.El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el aumento de la positividad en el diagnóstico bacteriológico de la tuberculosis mediante el uso del cultivo en un hospital de referencia para tuberculosis. Se realizó un análisis retrospectivo de los resultados bacteriológicos positivos en el Hospital Júlia Kubitschek de Belo Horizonte, Brasil. Hubo un incremento en el diagnóstico bacteriológico con cultivo del 24,6 % en las muestras de esputo y del 56,1 % en las muestras de lavado broncoalveolar. En líquido pleural, de 6 cultivos positivos, todos fueron negativos por baciloscopía. En 59,6 % de los cultivos positivos se aisló Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Se concluye que el cultivo para micobacterias es importante en la rutina de laboratorio del Hospital Júlia Kubitschek para el conocimiento de la verdadera prevalencia de tuberculosis, ya que este procedimiento no se realiza en todas las muestras clínicas.