title: Posttreatment follow-Up of brucellosis by PCR assay.
abstract: In order to evaluate the usefulness of a peripheral blood PCR assay in the posttreatment follow-up of brucellosis, a cohort of 30 patients was studied by means of blood cultures, rose Bengal, seroagglutination, Coombs' antibrucella tests, and PCR assay at the time of diagnosis, at the end of treatment, and 2, 4, and 6 months later. Of the 29 patients whose PCR assays were initially positive, 28 (96.5%) were negative at the conclusion of the treatment. PCR was positive for the two patients who had relapses and negative for another four who had suspected but unconfirmed relapses. PCR was negative for 98.3% of the follow-up samples from those patients who had a favorable evolution. In conclusion, PCR appears to be a very useful technique, not only for the initial diagnosis of the disease, but also for posttreatment follow-up and the early detection of relapses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaga, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morata
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Queipo-Ortuño
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Reguera
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: García-Ordoñez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pichardo
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Colmenero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000371:Agglutination; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002002:Brucella / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003298:Coombs Test; D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial