Adenosine deaminase activity [ADA] versus conventional methods in diagnosing T.B. in body fluids

The aim of this study was to compare between ADA activity in diagnosing TB body fluids vs conventional methods. Thirty patients were subjected to standard questionnaire, clinical examination, ultrasound, plain X-ray and laboratory investigations. Out of the 30 patients, 5 were diagnosed by ADA activity [>70 U/L] as having TB with 80% sensitivity compared with 100% sensitivity for PCR, 60% for culture and 50% for ZN stain. It was concluded that ADA activity can be used as a useful test for rapid, cheap, accurate and noninvasive laboratory test in diagnosing TB of body fluids and should be used routinely in patients suspected of having tuberculous effusions