The rrs (16S)-rrl (23S) ribosomal intergenic spacer region as a target for the detection of Haemophilus ducreyi by a heminested-PCR assay.
The intergenic spacer region between the rrs and rrl ribosomal RNA genes of Haemophilus ducreyi was analysed and the DNA sequence was used for the selection of specific PCR primers. A highly sensitive and specific heminested-PCR assay for the identification of H. ducreyi was developed. The assay showed a sensitivity of 96% on genital ulcer specimens from patients with clinically diagnosed chancroid, compared with a sensitivity of 56% for culture methods. These results indicate that this PCR assay has the potential to become an accurate and easy reference method for the detection of H. ducreyi.
Gu
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1 Department of Microbiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Rossau
R
R
2 Innogenetics NV, Ghent, Belgium.
Jannes
G
G
2 Innogenetics NV, Ghent, Belgium.
Ballard
R
R
3 STD/HIV Research Unit, South African Institute of Medical Research, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Laga
M
M
1 Department of Microbiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Van Dyck
E
E
1 Department of Microbiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
D001483:Base Sequence; D002602:Chancroid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006191:Haemophilus ducreyi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004275:DNA, Ribosomal