title: Diagnostic value of the polymerase chain reaction for Chlamydia detection as determined in a follow-up study.
abstract: The diagnostic value of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in comparison with that of the culture technique was established in a follow-up study of 32 patients (81 samples) who were treated for a C. trachomatis infection. The PCR was performed with two different sets of primers, a genus-specific primer set directed against the rRNA genes and a C. trachomatis-specific set directed against the common endogenous plasmid. After treatment with doxycycline, all patients became culture negative after 1 week. Results for the detection of C. trachomatis by the PCR were in complete agreement with the results by the culture method of detection, except for one culture-negative sample, which was found to be positive by the PCR. The results indicated that 1 week after treatment, no residual chlamydial DNA was found in the samples. Therefore, the PCR can be used for monitoring infections by chlamydiae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Diagnostic Centre SSDZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Claas
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wagenvoort
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Niesters
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Tio
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Van Rijsoort-Vos
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Quint
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D004318:Doxycycline