title: Chlamydia trachomatis PCR (Cobas Amplicor) in women: endocervical specimen transported in a specimen of urine versus endocervical and urethral specimens in 2-SP medium versus urine specimen only.
abstract: The sensitivity of Roche Cobas Amplicor Chlamydia trachomatis polymerase chain reaction (PCR) including the internal control (IC) programme to identify inhibition, was investigated on 3 different samples from women: (1) swab samples from the urethra and the cervix pooled in 2-SP transport medium, (2) swab sample from the cervix transported in a urine sample from the same patient, and (3) urine sample alone. Out of the 2412 patients, 193 (8.0%) were chlamydia positive and in 14 of these the results showed discrepancies between sampling methods. The sensitivity of PCR on urethra/cervix, urine/cervix and urine was 98.4% (190/193), 97.9% (189/193) and 93.3% (180/193) respectively. The higher sensitivity of PCR on urethra/cervix and urine/cervix as compared with urine alone was statistically significant. Without the IC, the sensitivity of PCR on urethra/ cervix, urine/cervix and urine would have been 95.9% (185/193), 94.8% (183/193) and 90.7% (175/193) respectively. Factors influencing the rate of inhibition were also studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Bacteriology, Karolinska Institute at Huddinge Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Airell
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ottosson
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bygdeman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carlberg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lidbrink
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rudén
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Elfgren
mesh_terms: D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000652:urine; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014521:Urethra / Q000382:microbiology; D014626:Vaginal Smears
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic