Detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA by PCR of swabs from Tuberculosis Patients

Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) usually includes laboratory analysis of sputum, a viscous material derived from deep in the airways of patients with active disease. As a diagnostic sample matrix, sputum can be difficult to collect and analyze. An alternative, less invasive sample matrix could greatly simplify TB diagnosis. We hypothesized that Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells or DNA accumulate on the oral epithelia of pulmonary TB patients, and can be collected and detected by using oral (buccal) swabs combined with PCR detection of M. tuberculosis DNA. A case-control study (Wood RC et al, SREP-14-09269B, 2015) supported the efficacy of this approach. Oral swab samples are non-invasive, non-viscous, and easy to collect with or without active TB symptoms.