Pooling of urine specimens allows accurate and cost-effective genetic detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in Lithuania and other low-resource countries.
The aims of this study were to compare performance characteristics and cost-effectiveness of pooling urine samples for screening and diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis using Digene Hybrid Capture II CT/NG Test (HCII), and to examine the prevalence of C. trachomatis in male military recruits in Lithuania. A total of 410 urine samples were individually tested and pooled by 5 and 10 samples, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis were not affected by either pooling strategy. The estimated population prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was nearly identical, i.e. 4.4%, 4.4% and 4.1% based on individually tested samples, and samples pooled by 5 and 10, respectively. For this estimation of the population prevalence, pooling 5 samples reduced the costs by 80% and pooling 10 samples reduced the costs by 90%. For diagnosis of each individual sample, the pooling strategies resulted in cost savings of 60% (5 samples per pool) and 56% (10 samples per pool). The present pooling strategies were sensitive, specific and cost-efficient for screening and diagnosis of C. trachomatis infection in male military recruits in Lithuania. The strategies would be most useful for reasonably inexpensive large-scale screening, prevalence studies and even diagnostics in Lithuania and many other low-resource countries.
Butylkina
Rita
R
Kaunas Public Health Centre, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Juseviciute
Violeta
V
Kasparaviciene
Giedre
G
Vagoras
Andrius
A
Pagirskas
Egidijus
E
Unemo
Magnus
M
Domeika
Marius
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000652:urine*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D008889:Military Personnel; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000191:economics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology*
D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic