Diagnosis of Legionella pneumophila infection by polymerase chain reaction.
We examined the application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the diagnosis of legionellosis. Eight intratracheal aspirates were collected from a patient with pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila serogroup 2, and serial 10-fold dilutions of the samples were obtained. Two samples were positive for L. pneumophila by the direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) method down to a 10(-2) concentration, and one was positive down to a 10(-4) concentration. PCR was positive for all eight samples, and the sensitivity was greater than that of the DFA method. Only one of the eight samples yielded organisms in culture: the L. pneumophila serogroup 2 strain was isolated on buffered charcoal yeast extract alpha agar as an atypical white, papillate colony.
Koide
M
M
First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
Saito
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D016952:Legionella pneumophila / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014132:Trachea / Q000382:microbiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial