Pneumocystis carinii diagnosis: an update.
From 1994 to date we have been using the internal transcribed spacers (ITSs) nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to investigate the possibility of diagnosing Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia on non-invasive samples collected from HIV-positive patients with pulmonary involvement. The objectives were: (1) to test the sensitivity, specificity and prognostic value of PCR in diagnosis and follow up of PCP; (2) to investigate the eventual occurrence and role of asymptomatic carriers of P. carinii; (3) to evaluate the prognostic significance of blood PCR positivity versus respiratory samples; (4) to verify the occurrence of exogenous infections or endogenous reactivations in cases of recurrent P. carinii pneumonia; and (5) to study the possible correlation between P. carinii genotype identified and capability of blood dissemination, prior prophylactic treatments, clinical parameters and outcome of the patients.
Agostoni
F
F
II Department of Infectious Diseases, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Via G.B. Grassi, 20157 Milan, Italy.
Atzori
C
C
Angeli
E
E
Mainini
A
A
Micheli
V
V
Cargnel
A
A
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D004271:DNA, Fungal