title: Effects of various handling and storage conditions on stability of Treponema pallidum DNA in cerebrospinal fluid.
abstract: Treponema pallidum DNA from even small numbers of organisms was detectable in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) stored at room temperature or at 4 degrees C for several hours and in CSF subjected to three freeze-thaw cycles. These results suggest that negative PCR results for T. pallidum from patients diagnosed with T. pallidum invasion of the central nervous system are probably not due to the loss of target DNA prior to testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201-1998, USA.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Villanueva
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Podzorski
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Reyes
mesh_terms: D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial