Table 3 Diagnostic performance of different methods, including smear microscopy, culture, Xpert MTB/RIF, and nucleotide MALDI-TOF MS assay on BALFs from the clinical susceptible PTB patients using clinical diagnosis as reference.

From: Enhanced diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis through nucleotide MALDI-TOF MS analysis of BALF: a retrospective clinical study

Test method

Results of MTB

Clinical diagnosis

Sensitivity (%, 95%CI)

Specificity (%, 95%CI)

PPV (%, 95%CI)

NPV (%, 95%CI)

PTB (274)

non-PTB (69)

Smear microscopy (n = 343)

Positive

62

5

22.6 (17.8–28.0)

92.8 (83.9–97.6)

92.5 (83.4–97.5)

23.2 (18.3–28.6)

Negative

212

64

    
   

p < 0.001

p = 0.839

p = 0.971

p = 0.004

MGIT 960 culture (n = 280)

Positive

97

8

40.6 (34.3–47.1)

80.5 (65.1–91.2)

92.4 (85.5–96.7)

18.9 (13.4–25.5)

Negative

142

33

    
   

p < 0.001

p = 0.953

p = 0.932

p < 0.001

Xpert MTB/RIF (n = 220)

Positive

73

0

40.8 (33.5–48.4)

100.0 (91.4–100.0)

100.0 (95.1–100.0)

27.9 (20.8–35.9)

Negative

106

41

    
   

p < 0.001

p = 0.681

p = 0.872

p = 0.083

nucleotide MALDI-TOF MS (n = 343)

Positive

196

10

71.5(65.8–76.8)

85.5 (75. 0–92.8)

95.1 (91.3–97.6)

43.1(34.6–51.8)

Negative

78

59

    
   

ref

ref

ref

ref

  1. PTB pulmonary tuberculosis, non-PTB non-pulmonary tuberculosis, PPV positive predictive value, NPV negative predictive value, CI confidence interval, Ref reference.
Back to article page