title: Identification of Pneumocystis carinii DNA by polymerase chain reaction in necropsy lung samples from children dying of respiratory tract illnesses.
abstract: Polymerase chain reaction for Pneumocystis carinii DNA was performed on necropsy lung samples from children by means of P carinii -specific primers.P carinii DNA was identified in 22 of 22 (100%) samples with histologically proven P carinii pneumonia and 13 of 75 (17%) with non-P carinii pneumonia respiratory illness (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 83%). The low specificity precludes the use of polymerase chain reaction as an alternative to histopathologic diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: UNZA-UCLMS (University of Zambia-University College London Medical School) Tuberculosis/HIV Research and Training Project, the JICA Infectious Diseases Project, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kasolo
authors.forename: Kennedy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lishimpi
authors.forename: Chifumbe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chintu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mwaba
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mudenda
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maswahu
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terunuma
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nunn
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Alimuddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zumla
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology*; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial