Evaluation of Truenat Assays for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Publisher Pubmed



Sm Mahmoudi Shima MA ; Ah Sadegh Moghaddasi Amir HOSSEIN
Source: Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy Published:2024

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health concern, necessitating accurate and timely diagnostic methods. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Truenat assays for both pulmonary TB (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). Method: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies comparing Truenat assays to Mycobacterium tuberculosis confirmation methods. Results: Comparing Truenat MTB assay with the Lowenstein–Jensen (LJ) culture, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 86% (95% CI: 79–91%) and 86% (95% CI: 82–90%), respectively. For Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) culture comparison, pooled sensitivity was 88% (95% CI: 82–92%) with a specificity of 79% (95% CI: 57–92%). Compared to smear microscopy, Truenat assays displayed pooled sensitivity and specificity of 92% (95% CI: 78–98%) and 86% (95% CI: 64–95%). In comparison to Xpert MTB/RIF, Truenat assays exhibited a pooled sensitivity of 92% (95% CI: 80–97%) and a pooled specificity of 92% (95% CI: 56–99%) for PTB detection, and a pooled sensitivity of 94% (95% CI: 81–98%) and a specificity of 77% (95% CI: 32–96%) for the diagnosis of EPTB. Conclusion: This study underscores the potential of Truenat assays as valuable tools for diagnosing both PTB and EPTB. Prospero ID: CRD42024526686. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.