Abstract:Objective To compare the application value of loop-mediated isothermal amplification for tuberculosis (TB-LAMP), Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) /rifampicin (RIF) assay, and Roche solid culture in diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods A total of 152 sputum specimens were collected from the patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (80 smear-positive specimens and 72 smear-negative specimens). MTB was respectively detected by TB-LAMP, Xpert MTB/RIF and Roche solid culture. Results In 80 smear-positive sputum samples, the positive rates of MTB detected by TB-LAMP, Xpert MTB/RIF and Roche solid culture were 98. 8%, 95. 0% and 85. 0% respectively. There was no significant difference in the positive rate by three methods (P>0.05). In 72 smear-negative sputum specimens, the positive rates of MTB detected by TB-LAMP, Xpert MTB/RIF and Roche solid culture were 31. 9%, 25. 0% and 16. 7% respectively. There was significant differencein the positive detection rates among the three methods (P<0.05). The positive rate detected by LAMP was the highest, followed by Xpert MTB/RIF, and the lowest by Roche culture. Conclusion TB-LAMP, Xpert MTB/RIF and Roche culture have the same effect in detecting MTB for smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis spatum specimens. TB-LAMP and Xpert MTB/RIF are better than Roche culture for smear-negative tuberculosis sputum specimens. Compared with Xpert MTB/RIF, TB-LAMP is more suitable for diagnosis, prevention and control of pulmonary tuberculosis in developing countries or regions because of its simplicity, rapidity and low cost.