The value of Xpert MTB/RIF assay of urine samples in the early diagnosis of smear-negative urinary tuberculosis

Abstract Background: According to reports, between 30 and 40 percent of extrapulmonary TB cases are caused by urinary tract tuberculosis (UTB). It is critical to identify UTB quickly since it frequently precedes delayed medical attention, which can have detrimental effects. This study examined the use of Xpert MTB/RIF, a rifampicin-inhibited continuous fluorescence quantitative nucleic corrosive enhancement discovery innovation, in urine tuberculosis (UTB), particularly for the early identification of UTB. Methods: 180 patients with clinically suspected UTB whose urine samples were chosen for urine sediment smear, culture, Xpert MTB/RIF, and TB-DNA testing at Henan Chest Hospital between January 2019 and July 2022. We studied and compared the positive rates for various tests using the t-test. Results: In this subject, a total of 108 patients were diagnosed with urinary tract tuberculosis, and the positive detection rate was 67.1%. Among patients with urinary tract tuberculosis, the highest positive rate of a single test was Xpert MTB/RIF, reaching 29.69% (19/64, P<0.001), and the positive rates of the other three test items were: TB-DNA positive rate was 18.75% (6/32, P<0.1), the positive rate of culture was 12.12% (4/33, P>0.05), and the positive rate of smear was 7.56% (9/119, P<0.01). For the smear-negative group, Xpert MTB/RIF had the highest detection rate of 31.6% (6/19, P<0.1). Conclusion: Xpert MTB/RIF assay has high application value in the diagnosis of urinary tract tuberculosis. It can be widely used in clinical early diagnosis of urinary tract tuberculosis.