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Diagnostics
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Tuberculosis Detection and Diagnosis 2025
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Tuberculosis Detection and Diagnosis 2025

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 826

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Kanagavel Murugesan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Interests: tuberculosis; COVID-19 diagnostics; infectious disease; monoclonal and recombinant antibodies; clinical microbiology; molecular diagnostics; leptospirosis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to announce the Special Issue on “Tuberculosis Detection and Diagnosis 2025”. As tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a significant global health threat, innovative detection and diagnostic strategies are crucial for improving patient outcomes and controlling the spread of the disease. This issue aims to spotlight the latest advancements and methodologies in TB diagnostics, inviting contributions from researchers and clinicians dedicated to this vital field.

Our goal is to compile groundbreaking research that enhances our understanding and capabilities in TB detection and diagnosis. By focusing on cutting-edge technologies and methods, this collection will align with the journal’s mission to advance knowledge in infectious diseases. We aim to gather high-quality articles that reflect significant findings from laboratories and clinical settings.

We welcome original research and comprehensive reviews on topics including (but not limited to):

  • Novel biomarkers for TB diagnosis
  • Development of rapid diagnostic tests
  • Advances in imaging techniques
  • Molecular diagnostic approaches
  • Comparative effectiveness of diagnostic methods
  • Challenges in implementing new diagnostic technologies
  • Join us in this important endeavor, and we look forward to your valuable contributions.

Dr. Kanagavel Murugesan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • immunological testing: TST, IGRA
  • microscopic testing: sputum smear microscopy, AFB staining
  • molecular testing: NAATs, including LAMP and GeneXpert MTB/RIF, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
  • culture-based testing: BACTEC MGIT
  • imaging techniques: X-rays, CT
  • advanced testing technologies: NGS, mass spectrometry

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1685 KiB  
Article
Utility of Rapid Molecular Assays for Detecting Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Extrapulmonary Samples
by Katarzyna Kania, Katarzyna Wójcik, Kamil Drożdż and Karolina Klesiewicz
Diagnostics 2025, 15(9), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15091113 - 28 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Background: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) presents significant diagnostic challenges, particularly in the context of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. This study assessed the utility of the WHO-recommended rapid molecular assays, originally validated for pulmonary TB, in diagnosing extrapulmonary TB and detecting the MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis [...] Read more.
Background: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) presents significant diagnostic challenges, particularly in the context of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. This study assessed the utility of the WHO-recommended rapid molecular assays, originally validated for pulmonary TB, in diagnosing extrapulmonary TB and detecting the MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Materials and Methods: A total of 6274 clinical samples, including 4891 pulmonary and 1383 extrapulmonary samples, were analyzed between 2019 and 2022 using the BD MAX™ MDR-TB assay (BD MAX), the Xpert® MTB/RIF assay (Xpert MTB/RIF), the Xpert® MTB/XDR assay (Xpert MTB/XDR), FluoroType MTB, and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST). Results: MTBC was detected in 426 samples using BD MAX (376 pulmonary and 50 extrapulmonary), of which 277 were culture-confirmed. Phenotypic testing confirmed 299 positive cultures on Löwenstein–Jensen (LJ) medium and 347 in BD BACTEC™ MGIT™ (BACTEC MGIT) mycobacterial growth indicator tube (BBL) liquid culture. BD MAX showed high sensitivity and specificity for extrapulmonary TB detection (93.1% and 98.4%, respectively). Resistance to isoniazid or rifampicin was identified in 11% of MTBC-positive cases, whereas 3.69% were confirmed as MDR-TB. The molecular assays effectively detected resistance-associated mutations (katG, inhA, and rpoB), with high concordance to phenotypic tests (DST) (κ = 0.69–0.89). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that molecular assays, although validated for pulmonary TB, are also reliable for extrapulmonary TB detection and drug resistance profiling. Their rapid turnaround and robust accuracy support broader implementation in routine diagnostics, especially for challenging extrapulmonary specimens where early detection is critical for targeted therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tuberculosis Detection and Diagnosis 2025)
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12 pages, 359 KiB  
Article
Prevalence of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra Trace Call Results and Associated Risk Factors During Active Tuberculosis Case Finding in Viet Nam: A Programmatic Evaluation
by Luong Van Dinh, Khoa Tu Tran, Andrew James Codlin, Luan Nguyen Quang Vo, Nga Thuy Thi Nguyen, Lan Phuong Nguyen, Rachel Forse, Han Thi Nguyen, Thi Minh Ha Dang, Lan Huu Nguyen, Hoa Binh Nguyen and Jacob Creswell
Diagnostics 2025, 15(8), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15081006 - 15 Apr 2025
Viewed by 570
Abstract
Background: The Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay (Ultra) is a second-generation molecular diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB). The “Trace Call” result was added as a semi-quantitative category for extremely low bacillary loads. The prevalence and interpretation of Trace Call results remains insufficiently elucidated in [...] Read more.
Background: The Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay (Ultra) is a second-generation molecular diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB). The “Trace Call” result was added as a semi-quantitative category for extremely low bacillary loads. The prevalence and interpretation of Trace Call results remains insufficiently elucidated in the context of community-based active case finding (ACF). Methods: We organized 56 days of mobile chest X-ray (CXR) screening events in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, between October 2020 and March 2021. Participants were screened verbally and by CXR and tested by Ultra, if eligible. Persons with a Trace Call were re-tested on Ultra per national guidelines. qXRv3 computer-aided detection software was used for post hoc quality control of CXR interpretation. We calculated descriptive statistics and fitted mixed-effect multivariate regression models to identify factors associated with Trace Call results and confirmatory diagnosis. Results: A total of 16,698 people were screened by CXR to detect 185 Ultra-positive participants, including 142 persons with a confirmed TB diagnosis. Among Ultra-positive participants, 38.4% (71/185) had Trace Call results. Of these, 85.9% (61/71) were re-tested, and 45.9% (28/61) were bacteriologically-confirmed, comprising 19.7% (28/142) of the final number of confirmed diagnoses. Having a low qXR abnormality score (<0.5) (aOR = 4.97; 95%CI: [1.88, 13.14]; p = 0.001) and a history of TB within 5 recent years (aOR = 3.53; 95%CI: [1.69, 7.35]; p = 0.001) were associated with an initial Trace Call. Conclusions: The Trace Call can improve ACF detection, particularly in earlier stages of disease with limited pulmonary deterioration. However, participants with a history of TB had higher rates of Trace Call, reinforcing the need to interpret test results in this group with caution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tuberculosis Detection and Diagnosis 2025)
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