Pathological and DNA-based Detection of Tracheobronchial Tuberculosis in China

Objectives: To compare the DNA-based sputum evaluation with histopathology for the diagnosis of tracheo-bronchial tuberculosis (TBTB). Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Tianjin, China, from January to June 2017. Methodology: TBTB patients, who underwent bronchoscopy during the study period, were included. Their bronchoscopy presentations, histopathology, and induced sputum deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and culture results were analysed. Results were expressed as frequency percentage. Results: There were 110 subjects. Most patients were young females with coughing. The main TBTB subtype was fibrostenotic, while the most common findings were single level lesions and lobar bronchi. The diagnostic rates were 40.43%, 67.86%, and 68.54% for DNA-based analysis of induced sputum, histopathology, and induced sputum culture, respectively. Only in the edematous-hyperemic subtype was the positivity rate of DNA-based analysis of induced sputum higher than in histopathology. In the fibrostenotic subtype, the histopathologic results were superior for diagnosis. Conclusion: A combination of induced sputum and biopsy using DNA-based methods is a superior and exact method to diagnose TBTB. DNA-based analysis of induced sputum for mycobacterium tuberculosis can be used for preliminary impressions.