02422nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001900055653001100074653001100085653002500096653003100121653001700152653001900169653003000188653003100218653003200249653001100281653002800292100001800320700001400338700001200352700001200364700001200376700001700388700001500405700001600420245009200436856004100528300001000569490000700579520144800586022001402034       1996                            d  c1996 Dec10aDNA, Bacterial10aHumans10aMalawi10aMycobacterium leprae10aMycobacterium tuberculosis10aNasal Mucosa10aPilot Projects10apolymerase chain reaction10aReproducibility of Results10aSensitivity and Specificity10aSputum10aTuberculosis, Pulmonary1 aWarndorff D K1 aGlynn J R1 aFine PE1 aJamil S1 aWit M Y1 aMunthali M M1 aStoker N G1 aKlatser P R00aPolymerase chain reaction of nasal swabs from tuberculosis patients and their contacts.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v64n4a04.pdf  a404-80 v643 a<p>Previous studies have found Mycobacterium leprae in nasal swabs from leprosy patients, their contacts, and persons living in endemic areas. It might be expected that M. tuberculosis would be present on nasal mucosa of pulmonary tuberculosis patients, but whether they can be detected in patients or contacts is unknown. We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique on nasal swabs from tuberculosis patients, contacts of tuberculosis patients, leprosy patients, and London controls to look for both M. tuberculosis and M. leprae. Swabs dipped in sputum specimens from smear-positive patients were used as positive controls. The PCRs were conducted in two independent laboratories. M. tuberculosis was detected in nasal swabs from 6/16 smear-positive tuberculosis patients and from 1/10 household contacts by one of the laboratories. All of the sputum swabs were positive for M. tuberculosis, and all of the London controls were negative. M. leprae were found in nasal swabs from 2/5 leprosy patients, but one laboratory also reported M. leprae in swabs from 4/21 tuberculosis patients and from one sputum specimen. The results show that M. tuberculosis can be found in the noses of some tuberculosis patients, and suggest that the bacilli also may be detected in some household contacts. The comparisons with M. leprae and between the two laboratories give further insights into the sensitivity and specificity of the technique.</p>  a0148-916X