Table 1 Characteristics of included studies
First author | Year | Age (years) | % male | % HIV | Study setting | Sampling method* | Gold standard | Sample types (total n specimens analysed) | Sample used for gold standard | Composite reference standard included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Studies included in meta-analysis | ||||||||||
Ablanedo-Terrazas | 2013 | Adults >16 (Median 29, IQR 24–35.5) | 88.2 | 100 | Clinical | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | Lymph node FNA, lymph node tissue biopsy (68) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Mexico | Consecutive | |||||||||
Al-Ateah | 2012 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Pleural fluid, Lymph node FNA, Pericardial, Peritoneal/ascites fluid, Synovial/articular fluid, Pus/abscess (67) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Saudi Arabia | Consecutive | |||||||||
Armand | 2009 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Retrospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | Pleural fluid, Urine, Lymph node, Bone marrow, Pus/abscess\ | As for Xpert | N/A |
France | Convenience | |||||||||
Bates | 2011 | Children <15, (Median 20 months, IQR 12 – 74 months) | NR | 30.5 | Clinical | Prospective | Liquid culture | Gastric aspirate (788) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Zambia | Consecutive | |||||||||
Causse | 2009 | Mean 45, Range 5 - 83 | 63.8 | NR | Clinical | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Pleural fluid, Gastric aspirate, Pericardial, Peritoneal/ascitic, Synovial/articular, Pus/abscess (340) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Spain | Consecutive | |||||||||
Deggim | 2010 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Pleural fluid, Peritoneal/ascitic (7) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Switzerland | Consecutive | |||||||||
Feasey | 2013 | Adults only, 37 | 67 | 100 | Clinical | Prospective Unspecified | Solid and/or liquid culture | Blood (104) | Sputum and/or blood | N/A |
Malawi | ||||||||||
Friedrich | 2011 | NR | NR | NR | Clinical | Prospective Consecutive | Liquid culture | Pleural fluid (25) | Sputum and/or Abrams needle biopsy and/or pleural fluid | Culture and/or clinical presentation plus ADA level plus good response to anti-TB treatment |
South Africa | ||||||||||
Hanif | 2009 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Pleural fluid, Urine, Gastric aspirate, Pus, Lymph node FNA (29) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Kuwait | Unspecified | |||||||||
Hillemann | 2011 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Pleural fluid, Urine, Gastric aspirate, Faeces (521) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Germany | Consecutive | |||||||||
Ioannidis | 2011 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Pleural fluid, Urine, Lymph node, Gastric aspirate, Pericardial, Synovial/articular, Pus/abscess (39) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Greece | Unspecified | |||||||||
Lawn | 2012 | Adults >18 | 39.3 | 100 | Clinical | Retrospective | Liquid culture | Urine (168) | Sputum | N/A |
South Africa | Consecutive | |||||||||
Ligthelm | 2011 | 4.2% under 5; 12.5% between 5 and 20; 83.3% over 20 | 41.6 | 18.8 | Clinical | Prospective | Liquid culture | Lymph node FNA (48) | As for Xpert | Cytomorphology suggestive of TB with direct visualisation of the organism and/or bacterial culture |
South Africa | Unspecified | |||||||||
Malbruny | 2011 | Median 52 | 59.8 | NR | Laboratory | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Pleural fluid, Urine, Lymph node, Gastric aspirate, Bone marrow, Peritoneal/ascitic fluid, Synovial/articular, Pus/abscess (122) | As for Xpert | N/A |
France | Unspecified | |||||||||
Miller | 2011 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Retrospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | NR (23) | As for Xpert | N/A |
USA | Unspecified | |||||||||
Moure | 2011 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Retrospective | Liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Pleural fluid, Gastric aspirate, Faeces, Lymph node, Pericardial, Peritoneal/ascitic fluid, Synovial/articular, Pus/abscess (149) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Spain | Unspecified | |||||||||
Nhu (a) | 2013 | Children under 16 | NR | NR | Clinical | Retrospective | Liquid culture | Gastric aspirate (49) | As for Xpert | Confirmed case (acid-fast bacilli on smear microscopy or positive culture) or probable case (clinical symptoms consistent with TB, did not receive an alternative diagnosis and received TB treatment) |
Vietnam | Consecutive | |||||||||
Nhu (b) | 2013 | Adults >18 | NR | 20.8 | Clinical | Prospective | Liquid culture | CSF (379) | As for Xpert | Culture and/or clinical symptoms and/or CSF criteria and/or cerebral imaging and/or evidence TB elsewhere |
Vietnam | Consecutive | |||||||||
Nicol | 2013 | Children <15 (Median 31 months, IQR 19 – 57 months) | NR | 14.8 | Clinical | Prospective | Liquid culture | Stool (115) | Sputum | N/A |
South Africa | Consecutive | |||||||||
Peter | 2012 | Median 35, IQR 28-38 | 41 | 100 | Clinical | Prospective | Liquid culture | Urine (175) | Sputum and/or non-sputum | N/A |
South Africa | Random | |||||||||
Porcel | 2013 | Mean 50 | 58 | 0 | Clinical | Prospective | Solid culture | Pleural fluid (67) | As for Xpert | Smear and/or culture of pleural fluid/sputum; or granuloma on pleural biopsy; or lymphocytic effusion with increased ADA; and resolution of effusion with TB treatment |
Spain | Consecutive | |||||||||
Teo | 2011 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Unspecified | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Urine, Pleural fluid, Pericardial fluid, Peritoneal/ascitic fluid, Tissue/biopsy, Pus/abscess (31) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Singapore | Unspecified | |||||||||
Tortoli | 2012 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Retrospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Urine, Pleural fluid, Gastric aspirate, Pus/abscess, Peritoneal, Synovial/articular, Pericardial (1493) | As for Xpert | Culture and/or radiological and/or histological signs suggesting TB and improvement after anti-TB treatment |
Italy | Consecutive | |||||||||
Vadwai | 2011 | Median 37, 8 months – 94 years | 45.9 | 3 | Clinical | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | CSF, Tissue/biopsy, Pleural fluid, Lymph node FNA, Pericardial, Peritoneal/ascitic fluid, Synovial/articular, Pus/abscess (547) | As for Xpert | Confirmed (culture) or probable (clinical symptoms, radiological findings and/or histology/cytology suggestive of TB) or possible (only clinical symptoms and/or signs suggestive of TB) |
India | Consecutive | |||||||||
Van Rie | 2013 | Aged >18, Mean 25.8, Range 18 – 73 | 51 | 100 | Clinical | Prospective | Liquid culture | Lymph node FNA (373) | As for Xpert | Culture and/or smear microscopy and/or cytology |
South Africa | Consecutive | |||||||||
Zeka | 2011 | Median 47.5 | 57.6 | NR | Clinical | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | Pleural fluid, Tissue/biopsy, Peritoneal/ascitic fluid, CSF, Pericardial fluid, Urine (176) | As for Xpert | Culture and/or clinical diagnosis (clinical, pathological and/or radiological findings) |
Turkey | Unspecified | |||||||||
Zmak | 2013 | NR | NR | NR | Laboratory | Prospective | Solid and/or liquid culture | Blood, CSF, Pleural fluid, Urine, Faeces, Pericardial fluid, Peritoneal/ascitic fluid, Tissue/biopsy, Skin swabs (241) | As for Xpert | N/A |
Croatia | Unspecified | |||||||||