Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis by a ligase chain reaction amplification method.
OBJECTIVE
The ligase chain reaction is an in vitro DNA amplification technique that exponentially amplifies selected DNA sequences.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a ligase chain reaction assay for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis cryptic plasmid DNA (LCx Chlamydia) in patients routinely attending a sexually transmitted disease center in Italy.


METHODS
Urethral or cervical swabs were obtained from 501 consecutive patients (334 men and 167 women). The samples were assayed in parallel with LCx Chlamydia and conventional tissue culture; discordant results were further assayed by direct immunofluorescence and a ligase chain reaction with alternate primers.


RESULTS
After resolution of discordant results, the LCx method showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 100%, 99.3%, 96.7%, and 100% in men; 100%, 100%, 100%, and 100% in women; and 100%, 99.5%, 97.1%, and 100% overall, respectively. By comparison, the sensitivity of tissue culture was 81.4% in men, 50% in women, and 77.6% overall.


CONCLUSIONS
The automated LCx method is sensitive, fast, and accurate and represents a useful diagnostic tool for C. trachomatis infection, even in low and medium prevalence populations.
Rumpianesi
F
F
Institute of Microbiology, University of Bologna, Italy.
Donati
M
M
Negosanti
M
M
D'Antuono
A
A
La Placa
M
M
Cevenini
R
R
D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008025:Ligases; D008297:Male; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008025:Ligases