title: Comparison of chemiluminescent DNA probe to cell culture for the screening of Chlamydia trachomatis in a gynecology clinic population.
abstract: Two hundred ninety-five endocervical swab specimens were obtained from patients presenting to a gynecology clinic in order to compare a nonradioactive chemiluminescent DNA probe with cell culture for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis. Discrepancies between cell culture and DNA probe were resolved by retesting and reculturing samples. In a population with a 10.8% prevalence, the corrected sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for the DNA probe were 80.6, 95.8, 71.4, and 97.3%, respectively. These results compare favorably to other non-culture methods such as direct fluorescent antibody and enzyme immunoassay tests for the detection of C trachomatis in populations with similar prevalence rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Mercer
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Sahm
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lawrie
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hajj
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial