title: Use of the polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing for detection of Bartonella quintana in the aortic valve of a patient with culture-negative infective endocarditis.
abstract: We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and broad-range bacterial primers, combined with DNA sequencing, to identify Bartonella quintana as the etiologic agent in a case of culture-negative infective endocarditis; all blood cultures, as well as the bacterial cultures of the resected aortic valve and vegetations, remained negative. PCR was used to amplify bacterial 16S rDNA from a template prepared from the aortic valve vegetation. The amplified 16S rDNA produced a nucleotide sequence that was 99.79% identical to the B. quintana rDNA sequence. The patient had a highly elevated level of serum antibodies to Bartonella antigen (1:8,192).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Turku University, Turku University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jalava
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kotilainen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nikkari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skurnik
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vänttinen
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Lehtonen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eerola
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toivanen
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000382:microbiology*; D018413:Bartonella quintana / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S