The Diagnostic Reliability of a Novel 13-Carbon Urea Breath Test in the Identification of an Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Document Type : New and original researches in the field of Microbiology.

Authors

1 Medical Laboratories Techniques Department, College of Health and Medical Technology, University of Al Maarif, Al Anbar, 31001, Iraq

2 Microbiology Department, College of Medicine, University of Anbar, Iraq

3 Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Department, University of Anbar, College of Medicine, Anbar, Iraq

Abstract

Background: The accuracy of diagnostic tests in intervention studies for eradicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis is critical. Objective: This study aims to determine the threshold value for the innovative 13-carbon urea breath test in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methodology: We conducted a prospective case-control research study to evaluate the accuracy of administering a dosage of 75 mg of C13-urea to a cohort of 200 volunteers, which included 100 individuals in excellent health and 100 individuals suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. We used a jet nebulizer to deliver the C13-urea and a double-beam infrared spectrophotometer to analyze the exhaled breath. Results: The area under the curve (AUC) was ranging between 0.988 and 1. The test's sensitivity ranged from 98% to 100%, while its specificity ranged from 40% to 100%. We determined the ideal threshold to be 0.288, ensuring 100% sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: The 13C urea breath test exhibited an extremely high degree of sensitivity in detecting pulmonary tuberculosis. This test offers the possibility to diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical practice with good sensitivity, low cost, and rapid results.

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