Comparison With The Smart Check Recombinant TB Serology Assay And Direct Sputum Microscopy For Acid Fast Bacilli Among Suspected HIV Positive Patients In Northeastern Nigeria

Currently, the Sputum smear microscopy for acid fast bacilli is the corner stone of diagnosis of HIV associated active TB in Nguru, Northeastern Nigeria. This method has low sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we set out to compare the reliability of the Smart Check Recombinant TB rapid test kit with the routine direct sputum microscopy for acid- fast bacilli (AFB). Using Ziehl-Neelsen stained sputum smear microscopy for AFB as the standard, sensitivity and specificity of the Smart Check Recombinant TB rapid test kit was 96.7 % and 82.1 % respectively. These results show that the performance of the Smart Check Recombinant TB rapid test kit was adequate in comparison with direct sputum smear microscopy by sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of active TB in HIV infected patients when alternative is just clinical suspicion.