title: [Experimental study and clinical application of rapid diagnosis of systemic candida albicans infection in burns by polymerase chain reaction].
abstract: For rapid diagnosis of systemic candidiasis, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify a segment of Candida albican DNA coding for the cytochrome P450 L1 A1 in vitro. The technique provided unambiguous evidence of the presence of Candida albicans in as short as 8 hours with a detection threshold of 20 organisms. 200 blood and 120 urine specimens were collected from thirty rabbits with burn and candidiasis. Specimens of blood (n = 6), urine (n = 6), sputum (n = 7) and wound exudate (n = 7) were also collected from eight serious burn patients. PCR technique was used in all the specimens, and the result was compared with conventional fungus culture. It was shown that: (1) The positive detection rate of Candida by PCR was significantly higher than by culture for blood specimens (P < 0.01) and serial specimens of urine (P < 0.05) in infected burn animals. The clinical specimens showed the same results; (2) In evaluating diagnostic value of PCR for systemic Candida albicans infection, it was found that sensitivity, accuracy and negative prediction rate were superior to the conventional culture method. These results suggest that PCR technic may provide a rapid sensitive and specific means for the diagnosis of systemic Candida albicans infection. In addition, it may be helpful in the evaluation of therapeutic response or recurrence of infection.
authors.affiliation: Center of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery, Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Chengdu.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002056:Burns / Q000382:microbiology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal