title: Detection of Candida in concentrated oral rinse cultures by real-time PCR.
abstract: The incidence of oral candidosis has increased in recent years, largely as a result of the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus infection and the more widespread use of immunosuppressive chemotherapy. This development has been associated with a need for more reliable methods for the detection of Candida. The present study assessed the performance of a real-time PCR and two block-based PCRs for the detection of Candida in 193 concentrated oral rinse culture (CRC) specimens. A total of 102 CRC specimens were positive by culture for Candida; and 96, 90, and 75 of these were also positive by real-time, N18-specific, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-specific PCRs, respectively. The five false-negative results by the real-time PCR were all non-Candida albicans positive by culture. Of the 91 culture-negative CRC specimens, 20, 41, and 44 were positive by the real-time PCR and the N18- and ITS-specific PCRs, respectively. All three PCRs detected fungal DNA in 8 culture-negative CRC specimens, with a further 30 being positive by two of the three PCRs. A total of 32 CRC specimens were Candida free by all methods. In summary, a real-time PCR that provides a sensitive, specific, and rapid alternative technique for detection of Candida in the mouth is described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and PHLS, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P Lewis
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Tomoari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuriyama
authors.forename: Shamim A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Samad
authors.forename: Michael A O
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Rosemary A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D002175:Candida / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D009172:Mycology / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal