Evaluation of the SmartCycler II system for real-time detection of viruses and Chlamydia from ocular specimens.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the SmartCycler II system (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, Calif) results with those of standard cell culture, to compare the SmartCycler II system results with those of a dedicated polymerase chain reaction facility, and to establish the SmartCycler II system as a polymerase chain reaction method for detecting viral and chlamydial DNA from ocular specimens.


METHODS
True-positive samples (test-positive specimens based on standard testing) and true-negative samples (test-negative specimens based on standard testing) were processed for polymerase chain reaction using the SmartCycler II system for adenovirus, herpes simplex virus type 1, varicella-zoster virus, and Chlamydia trachomatis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and efficiency were based on the testing of true-positive and true-negative specimens.


RESULTS
The descriptive statistics for adenovirus, herpes simplex virus type 1, varicella-zoster virus, and C trachomatis were, respectively, as follows: sensitivity, 85%, 98%, 100%, and 94%; specificity, 98%, 100%, 100%, and 100%; positive predictive value, 98%, 100%, 100%, and 100%; negative predictive value, 85%, 91%, 100%, and 98%; and efficiency, 92%, 95%, 100%, and 99%. Test sensitivity for the SmartCycler II system was equivalent to that from a central molecular laboratory.


CONCLUSIONS
The descriptive statistics of the SmartCycler II system obtained in a small laboratory were comparable to those of a central molecular laboratory for detecting viruses and Chlamydia species. Clinical Relevance Polymerase chain reaction has great potential in the routine diagnosis of ocular infections in any conventional laboratory.
Kowalski
Regis P
RP
Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh Medical Eye Center, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213, USA.
Thompson
Paul P
PP
Kinchington
Paul R
PR
Gordon
Y Jerold
YJ
D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000235:genetics; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014780:Viruses / Q000235:genetics*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004279:DNA, Viral