title: Evaluation of the Hybrid Capture 2 CT/GC DNA tests and the GenProbe PACE 2 tests from the same male urethral swab specimens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A previous study demonstrated that Digene's Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) DNA tests for detection of and (CT/GC) could be performed using cervical swab specimens collected in GenProbe transport media with significantly greater sensitivity for the detection of than with the GenProbe PACE 2 system.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal was to assess the performance of HC2 tests in comparison with GenProbe PACE 2 tests for the detection of CT/GC in male urethral swab specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1,202 male urethral swab specimens were collected in GenProbe PACE transport medium. All specimens were first tested with the PACE 2 system, followed by masked HC2 CT/GC testing. The GenProbe AMPLIFIED CT Assay (AMP CT) and PCR/SHARP Signal System (SHARP) were used for adjudication of discrepant results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence rates for this population were 8.4% for and 14.6% for, based on the adjudicated results. The relative sensitivity and specificity for the detection of were 97.0% and 99.8% for HC2 and 69.3% and 98.3% for PACE 2, respectively. The relative sensitivities for the detection of were 98.9% for HC2 and 99.4% for PACE 2, with the same specificity of 99.9% for both tests. Agreement between the two testing methods was 95.4% for and 99.6% for.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HC2 test is compatible with the GenProbe collection medium, with significantly greater sensitivity than the GenProbe PACE 2 test for detecting and similar sensitivities for detecting.
authors.affiliation: Digene Corporation, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA.
authors.forename: Ling H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Darwin
authors.forename: Allison P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Susanne R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Modarress
authors.forename: Dean E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Payne
mesh_terms: D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014526:Urethritis / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial