Detection of staphylococcal genes directly from cerebrospinal and peritoneal fluid samples using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction.
A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that can simultaneously detect eubacterial isolates and the methicillin-susceptibility of staphylococcal isolates from cerebrospinal and peritoneal fluid samples was compared to conventional microbiological methods. Using conventional methods, bacteria were isolated from 8% (29/350) of the cerebrospinal fluid samples and from 5% (3/60) of the peritoneal fluid samples. All isolates except two Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates were also detected using the multiplex PCR. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus were correctly identified using both methods. The multiplex PCR can rapidly and simultaneously detect eubacteria, and the methicillin susceptibility of staphylococci from samples containing > or = 10(2) cfu/ml of bacteria.
Institute for Medical Microbiology and Virology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany.
F J
FJ
Schmitz
M
M
Steiert
B
B
Hofmann
A C
AC
Fluit
J
J
Verhoef
H P
HP
Heinz
M E
ME
Jones
D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000235:genetics