The Indian Journal of Tuberculosis - LRS Institute of Tuberculosis ...

Ind. J. Tub., 1992, 39, 62
Indian Journal of Tuberculosis
.
ABSTRACTS
Vol. 39 January 1992
EVALUATION OF A POLYMERASE CHAIN
REACTION FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF TU-
BERCULOSIS
N. MANJUNATH ET AL\ TUBERCLE; 1991,
72, 21.
The limitations of the conventional methods in
detecting infectious cases early enough is one of
the reasons for the failure of tuberculosis control
programmes in developing countries. A polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) for the specific detection
of M. tuberculosis which can detect 10 organisms
is reported.
The samples studied included both pulmonary
(48) and extra-pulmonary cases (69) received at
the Tuberculosis Diagnostic Service of the All
India Institute of Medical Services, New Delhi.
Out of the total of 117 specimens in the test
group, 19 were culture positive for mycobacteria
and 17 of these isolates were identified as M, tuberculosis.
All the specimens from which M. tuberculosis
was grown were also PCR positive,
while the remaining two isolates identified as
mycobacteria other than tuberculosis were PCR
negative. Fourteen specimens which were culture
negative were also found to be positive by PCR,
thus yielding an overall positivity rate of 26.5%
(31/117) compared to 14.5% (17/117) by culture.
On the other hand, none of the specimens in the
control group was positive by PCR. The increased
sensitivity and specificity is due to the DNA segment
chosen for amplification. The authors derived
from MPB 64 protein coding gene because
this protein has been extensively characterized
and shown to be highly specific to species within
the M. tuberculosis complex.
SHORT COURSE CHEMOTHERAPY FOR
PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS UNDER
ROUTINE PROGRAMME CONDITIONS: A
COMPARISON OF REGIMENS OF 28 AND 36
WEEKS DURATION IN ALGERIA
ALGERIAN WORKING GROUP/BRITISH
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL COOP-
ERATIVE STUDY; TUBERCLE; 1991, 72, 88.
Two short course chemotherapy regimens (of
28 weeks' and 36 weeks' duration respectively)
were compared in previously untreated pulmonary
TB patients in Algeria. The regimens were
8 SHRZ/20 HR and 8 SHRZ/8 HR/2 OH.
Whole districts were allocated to one or the other
regimen. Results were assessed at the end of 2
years irrespective of departures from protocol.
Also, 25% of the patients in the first group and
29% in the second could not be assessed and
another 5% and 4% respectively died. Of initially
drug sensitive patients who completed treatment
and could be assessed, 97% in both groups had a
favourable status. Of those INH resistant at start,
none of the 19 in the 28 weeks' group and 5 of the
26 in the 36 weeks' group had an unfavourable
outcome suggesting that the duration of Rifampicin
may have been important in this group.
Default rate was nearly the same in both groups
(6.7% and 9.3%) and adverse reactions, though
uncommon, were slightly more frequent in the 28
weeks' group (6%) than in the 36 weeks' group
(2%).
SUSTAINED RELEASE OF ISONIAZID IN
VIVO FROM A SINGLE IMPLANT OF A BIO-
DEGRADABLE POLYMER
P.RJ. GANGADHARAM ET AL\ TU-
BERCLE; 1991,72,115
The problem of poor patient compliance in
completing treatment for the prescribed period
continues to be a big limitation in mass chemotherapy
programmes, even after the introduction
of short course chemotherapy. Supervised intermittent
administration of drugs has been suggested
as an alternative but in many parts of the
world this can be practical only if the interval between
two doses is fairly long. The authors describe
an animal experiment where with a single