1
|
Wood RC, Luabeya AK, Dragovich RB, Olson AM, Lochner KA, Weigel KM, Codsi R, Mulenga H, de Vos M, Kohli M, Penn-Nicholson A, Hatherill M, Cangelosi GA. Diagnostic accuracy of tongue swab testing on two automated tuberculosis diagnostic platforms, Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra and Molbio Truenat MTB Ultima. J Clin Microbiol 2024; 62:e0001924. [PMID: 38483169 PMCID: PMC11005402 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00019-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Tongue dorsum swabbing is a potential alternative to sputum collection for tuberculosis (TB) testing. Previous studies showed that Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) can detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA on tongue swabs stored in buffer, with 72% sensitivity and 100% specificity relative to a sputum microbiological reference standard (sputum MRS). The present study evaluated a more convenient sample collection protocol (dry swab storage), combined with streamlined sample processing protocols, for evaluating two commercial TB diagnostic tests: Xpert Ultra and Molbio Truenat MTB Ultima (MTB Ultima). Copan FLOQSwabs were self-collected or collected by study workers from 321 participants in Western Cape, South Africa. All participants had symptoms suggestive of TB, and 245 of them had sputum MRS-confirmed TB (by sputum MGIT culture and/or Xpert Ultra). One tongue swab per participant was tested on Xpert Ultra, and another tongue swab was tested with MTB Ultima. Xpert Ultra was 75.5% sensitive and 100% specific relative to sputum MRS, similar to previous methods that used swabs stored in buffer. MTB Ultima was 71.6% sensitive and 96.9% specific relative to sputum MRS. When sample lysates that were false-negative or invalid by MTB Ultima were frozen, thawed, and re-tested, MTB Ultima sensitivity rose to 79.1%. Both tests were more sensitive with swabs from participants with higher sputum Xpert Ultra semi-quantitative results. Although additional development could improve diagnostic accuracy, these results further support tongue swabs as easy-to-collect samples for TB testing. IMPORTANCE Tongue dorsum swabbing is a promising alternative to sputum collection for tuberculosis (TB) testing. Our results lend further support for tongue swabs as exceptionally easy-to-collect samples for high-throughput TB testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Wood
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Angelique K. Luabeya
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rane B. Dragovich
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alaina M. Olson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Katherine A. Lochner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kris M. Weigel
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Renée Codsi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Humphrey Mulenga
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | | | | | - Mark Hatherill
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gerard A. Cangelosi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wood RC, Luabeya AK, Dragovich RB, Olson AM, Lochner KA, Weigel KM, Codsi R, Mulenga H, de Vos M, Kohli M, Penn-Nicholson A, Hatherill M, Cangelosi GA. Tongue swab testing on two automated tuberculosis diagnostic platforms, Cepheid Xpert ® MTB/RIF Ultra and Molbio Truenat ® MTB Ultima. medRxiv 2023:2023.10.10.23296833. [PMID: 37873199 PMCID: PMC10593025 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.10.23296833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Tongue dorsum swabbing is a potential alternative to sputum collection for tuberculosis (TB) testing. Previous studies showed that Cepheid Xpert® MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) can detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA in tongue swabs stored in buffer, with 72% sensitivity and 100% specificity relative to a sputum microbiological reference standard (sputum MRS). The present study evaluated a more convenient sample collection protocol (dry swab storage), combined with streamlined sample processing protocols, for side-by-side analysis using two commercial TB diagnostic tests: Xpert Ultra and Molbio Truenat® MTB Ultima (MTB Ultima). Copan FLOQSwabs were self-collected, or collected by study workers, from 321 participants in Western Cape, South Africa. All participants had symptoms suggestive of TB, and 245 of them had sputum MRS-confirmed TB (by sputum culture and/or Xpert Ultra). One tongue swab per participant was tested on Xpert Ultra and another tongue swab was tested with MTB Ultima. Xpert Ultra was 75.4% sensitive and 100% specific, and MTB Ultima was 71.6% sensitive and 96.9% specific, relative to sputum MRS. When sample lysates that were false-negative by MTB Ultima were frozen, thawed, and re-tested, MTB Ultima sensitivity rose to 79.1%. Both tests were more sensitive with swabs from participants with higher sputum Xpert semi-quantitative results. The protocol for Xpert Ultra enabled fast and easy testing of dry-stored swabs with no loss of accuracy relative to previous methods. MTB Ultima testing of dry-stored swabs exhibited comparable performance to Xpert Ultra. These results further support tongue swabs as easy-to-collect samples for high-throughput TB testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Wood
- University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Angelique K Luabeya
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rane B Dragovich
- University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Alaina M Olson
- University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Katherine A Lochner
- University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Kris M Weigel
- University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Renée Codsi
- University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Humphrey Mulenga
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | | | | | - Mark Hatherill
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gerard A Cangelosi
- University of Washington, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Codsi R, Errett NA, Luabeya AK, Van As D, Hatherill M, Shapiro AE, Lochner KA, Vingino AR, Kohn MJ, Cangelosi GA. Preferences of healthcare workers using tongue swabs for tuberculosis diagnosis during COVID-19. PLOS Glob Public Health 2023; 3:e0001430. [PMID: 37676852 PMCID: PMC10484421 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCWs) who come into contact with tuberculosis (TB) patients are at elevated risk of TB infection and disease. The collection and handling of sputum samples for TB diagnosis poses exposure risks to HCWs, particularly in settings where aerosol containment is limited. An alternative sample collection method, tongue swabbing, was designed to help mitigate this risk, and is under evaluation in multiple settings. This study assessed risk perceptions among South African HCWs who used tongue swabbing in TB diagnostic research during the COVID-19 pandemic. We characterized their context-specific preferences as well as the facilitators and barriers of tongue swab use in clinical and community settings. Participants (n = 18) were HCWs with experience using experimental tongue swabbing methods at the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI). We used key informant semi-structured interviews to assess attitudes toward two tongue swab strategies: Provider-collected swabbing (PS) and supervised self-swabbing (SSS). Responses from these interviews were analyzed by rapid qualitative analysis and thematic analysis methods. Facilitators included aversion to sputum (PS and SSS), perceived safety of the method (SSS), and educational resources to train patients (SSS). Barriers included cultural stigmas, as well as personal security and control of their work environment when collecting swabs in community settings. COVID-19 risk perception was a significant barrier to the PS method. Motivators for HCW use of tongue swabbing differed substantially by use case, and whether the HCW has the authority and agency to implement safety precautions in specific settings. These findings point to a need for contextually specific educational resources to enhance safety of and adherence to the SSS collection method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renée Codsi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Nicole A. Errett
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Angelique K. Luabeya
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Danelle Van As
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mark Hatherill
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Adrienne E. Shapiro
- Departments of Global Health and Medicine (Infectious Diseases) University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Katherine A. Lochner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Alexandria R. Vingino
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Marlana J. Kohn
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Gerard A. Cangelosi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Codsi R, Errett NA, Luabeya AK, Hatherill M, Shapiro AE, Lochner KA, Vingino AR, Kohn MJ, Cangelosi GA. Preferences of health care workers using tongue swabs for tuberculosis diagnosis during COVID-19. medRxiv 2022:2022.12.06.22283185. [PMID: 36523414 PMCID: PMC9753790 DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.06.22283185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCW) who come into contact with tuberculosis (TB) patients are at elevated risk of TB infection and disease. The collection and handling of sputum samples for TB diagnosis poses exposure risks to HCW, particularly in settings where aerosol containment is limited. An alternative sample collection method, tongue swabbing, was designed to help mitigate this risk, and is under evaluation in multiple settings. This study assessed risk perceptions among South African HCW who used tongue swabbing in TB diagnostic research during the COVID-19 pandemic. We characterized their context-specific preferences as well as the facilitators and barriers of tongue swab use in clinical and community settings. Participants (n=18) were HCW with experience using experimental tongue swabbing methods at the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI). We used key informant semi-structured interviews to assess attitudes toward two tongue swab strategies: Provider-collected swabbing (PS) and supervised self-swabbing (SSS). Responses from these interviews were analyzed by rapid qualitative analysis and thematic analysis methods. Facilitators included aversion to sputum (PS and SSS), perceived safety of the method (SSS), and educational resources to train patients (SSS). Barriers included cultural stigmas, as well as personal security and control of their work environment when collecting swabs in community settings. COVID-19 risk perception was a significant barrier to the PS method. Motivators for HCW use of tongue swabbing differed substantially by use case, and whether the HCW has the authority and agency to implement safety precautions in specific settings. These findings point to a need for contextually specific educational resources to enhance safety of and adherence to the SSS collection method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renée Codsi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicole A. Errett
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Angelique K. Luabeya
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mark Hatherill
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine and Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Adrienne E. Shapiro
- Departments of Global Health and Medicine (Infectious Diseases) University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Katherine A. Lochner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alexandria R. Vingino
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Marlena J. Kohn
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gerard A. Cangelosi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|