Table 2– Processing of samples

Study	First author [ref.]	Year	Specimen condition	Homogenisation	Digestion/decontamination	Concentration (volume mL)	Resuspension (volume mL)	SR/sample ratio	Sample processing	Input volume mL
1	Al-Ateah [14]	2012	Fresh	Mechanical	NALC/NaOH	Yes	Yes (2.5)	2/1		1
2	Armand [15]	2011	Frozen	Mechanical	NALC/NaOH	Yes (variable)	No	3/1		2
3	Causse [16]	2011	Fresh	No	NALC/NaOH	Yes (variable)	No	2/1		1
4	Christopher [17]	2013	Fresh	No	No	No	No	2/1		2
5	Friedrich [18]	2011	Fresh	No	No	Yes (50)	Yes (2)	2/1		>2
6	Hanif [19]	2011	Fresh	No	No	No	No	2/1		2
7	Hillemann [20]	2011	Fresh	Mechanical (for tissue)	NALC/NaOH	Yes	Yes (1.5)	3/1		2
8	Ligthelm [21]	2011	Fresh	No	No	No	No	2/1	If sample <0.7 mL, PBS added to increase volume to 0.7 mL	2
9	Malbruny [22]	2011	Fresh and frozen	Mechanical	NALC/NaOH	Yes (variable)	No	3/1	All samples concentrated except for CSF	0.5–1
10	Moure [23]	2012	Frozen	Mechanical	NALC/NaOH	Yes (variable)	Yes (2)	2/1	3 mL added to cartridge: 1 mL sediment, 2 mL SR	3
11	Nhu [24]	2013	Fresh	No	No	Yes (5–8)	Yes (0.7)	2/1	200 μL deposit was taken and 500 μL PBS added	2
12	Patel [25]	2013	Frozen	No	No	No	No	2/1		2
13	Porcel [26]	2013	Frozen	No	No	Yes (5)	Yes (1)	2/1		2
14	Safianowska [27]	2012	Fresh	Mechanical	NALC/NaOH	Yes (see sample processing)	Yes (2.5)	3/1	Centrifugation, followed by additional washing step with 50 mL distilled water and repeat centrifugation	2
15	Tortoli [28]	2012	Frozen	Mechanical	NALC/NaOH	Yes (variable)	Yes (2)	2/1	Decontamination only for nonsterile samples	2
16	Vadwai [29]	2011	Fresh	Mechanical (for tissue)	No	No	No	2/1	SR/sample 2/1 except for CSF, which was usually <1 mL and increased to 2 mL with SR	2
17	Van Rie [30]	2013	Fresh	No	No	No	Yes (4)	2/1		2
18	Zeka [31]	2011	Frozen	No	No	No	No	3/1		2

SR: sample reagent; NALC: N-acetyl-l-cysteine; CSF: cerebrospinal fluid.