title: Detection of pathogens causing genital ulcer disease by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (M-PCR) assay for simultaneous detection of pathogens causing genital ulcer disease (GUD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on the gene-specific region of the following pathogens: Chlamydia trachomatis omp1/ompb, herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA polymerase, Treponema pallidum tpp47, Haemophilus ducreyi 16s rRNA, four sets of primers were designed and an M-PCR assay was developed to detect four pathogens in one test. The assay was evaluated with diagnostic result of golden standard for each pathogen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 51 clinical samples, M-PCR showed slightly higher positive rate (47.1%) of HSV than cell culture (23.6%). Meanwhile, the positive rate of T. pallidum detected by M-PCR and dark-field microscopy was 19.6% (10/51) and 15.7% (8/51), respectively. Only one sample was positive for H. ducreyi and no sample was positive for C. trachomatis detected by both M-PCR assay and culture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This primary study indicated that M-PCR assay can simultaneously and rapidly detect the four etiologic pathogens causing GUD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, China Meitan General Hospital, Beijing 100028. laydlr@sina.com
authors.forename: Ai-ying
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ming-jun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yue-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jiang-fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017931:DNA Primers; D006191:Haemophilus ducreyi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014456:Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers