This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay in the identification of M. tuberculosis in pulmonary and extrapulmonary clinical samples by taking the results of the BACTEC MGIT 960TB culture system as a reference.


 A total of 11,341 specimens sent to Sivas Cumhuriyet University Application and Research Hospital Tuberculosis Laboratory for microbiological examination with suspicion of tuberculosis infection between January 2013 and December 2019 were examined, and 6847 clinical specimens that underwent culture (BACTEC MGIT 960TB), Xpert MTB/RIF and AFB (Acid-fast bacilli) testing were selected and included in our study.  In our study, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values of Xpert MTB/ RIF and AFB were calculated by taking TB culture test as reference test.  The sensitivity of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay was calculated as 96.1%, specificity as 99.7%, positive predictive value (PPV) as 88.2%, and negative predictive value (NPV) as 99.9%.  A large number of clinical samples were studied with the Xpert MTB/RIF test in our study.  Especially in the diagnosis of extrapulmonary TB, the effectiveness of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay has not been certainly proven in countries having a moderate prevalence of TB, such as Turkey. 
Xpert MTB/RIF
This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay in the identification of M. tuberculosis in pulmonary and extrapulmonary clinical samples by taking the results of the BACTEC MGIT 960TB culture system as a reference.


 A total of 11,341 specimens sent to Sivas Cumhuriyet University Application and Research Hospital Tuberculosis Laboratory for microbiological examination with suspicion of tuberculosis infection between January 2013 and December 2019 were examined, and 6847 clinical specimens that underwent culture (BACTEC MGIT 960TB), Xpert MTB/RIF and AFB (Acid-fast bacilli) testing were selected and included in our study. 
BACTEC MGIT 960TB
A total of 11,341 specimens sent to Sivas Cumhuriyet University Application and Research Hospital Tuberculosis Laboratory for microbiological examination with suspicion of tuberculosis infection between January 2013 and December 2019 were examined, and 6847 clinical specimens that underwent culture (BACTEC MGIT 960TB), Xpert MTB/RIF and AFB (Acid-fast bacilli) testing were selected and included in our study. 
AFB (Acid-fast bacilli) testing