Epidemiology of molecular probes in Xpert MTB/RIF assay in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Regardless of a plethora of advanced diagnostics, TB and drug resistance remains a principal killer. We proposed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) attached with probes to enhance the efficiency of GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay instead of conventional dye probes for molecular detection. A total of 15,000 samples were collected from TB suspects and subjected to Xpert MTB/RIF assay, where 6800 (45.3%) were detected as MTB positive, 280 (4.3%) were detected to harbor mutations in the RRDR, while invalid /errors were found in 690 (4.6%) cases. The mutations were detected by probe E, 199 (71.1%), while probes B and D, 30 and 26 (10% and 9%), respectively. In the Xpert MTB/RIF Assay were found mutations picked by probes E and B codons 529-533 (71%) and 512-518 (10%), respectively. The fast-rising works of TB nano-diagnostics, of Xpert probes, may improve by the applications of gold nanoparticle probes.