Does Disseminated Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease Cause False-Positive Determine TB-LAM Lateral Flow Assay Results? A Retrospective Review

Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Oct 1;65(7):1226-1228. doi: 10.1093/cid/cix513.

Abstract

We retrospectively reviewed the Determine TB-LAM lateral flow assay (LF-LAM) results among human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease. LF-LAM was positive in 19 of 21 patients without evidence of tuberculosis (TB) coinfection. Although TB-NTM coinfection may have been underdiagnosed, our results suggest that disseminated NTM disease may cause false-positive LF-LAM results.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Coinfection / diagnosis
  • Coinfection / microbiology
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / diagnosis
  • HIV Infections / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / diagnosis*
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / microbiology
  • Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / isolation & purification
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tuberculosis / diagnosis*
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology