title: A multiplex PCR assay for the detection of respiratory bacteriae in nasopharyngeal smears from children with acute respiratory disease.
abstract: To elucidate the frequency of infections with pathogenic respiratory bacteriae during an inter-epidemic period a multiplex PCR assay was used to screen nasopharyngeal smears for the presence of DNA specific for Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. 187 samples from children aged 2-14 y were analysed with this method in addition to classical bacteriology and compared to results obtained with commercially available PCR kits for each single parameter. From 82 samples positive by bacteriology, 8 (4.3%) were also positive by PCR, whereas from 105 negative samples, 12 (6.4%) were positive only by PCR. From the total of 20 samples positive by PCR, 4 were found to be positive for M. pneumoniae, 6 for B. pertussis, 3 for B. parapertussis and 7 for both B. pertussis and B. parapertussis. Multiplex PCR is a very useful approach for the diagnosis of bacterial infections not detectable by classical bacteriology. In some patients, PCR was the only method giving a positive result, and in others double infections were diagnosed only because of the PCR contribution. Combination of classical bacteriology with multiplex PCR allows a precise diagnosis of infections in the upper respiratory tract, resulting in a more effective therapy.
authors: Institute Virion Ltd., Rüschlikon, Switzerland. r.geertsen@virion.ch
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Geertsen
authors: Franz
authors: F
authors: Kaeppeli
authors: Natasa
authors: N
authors: Sterk-Kuzmanovic
authors: Sasa
authors: S
authors: Andrasevic
authors: Tatjana
authors: T
authors: Anic-Milic
authors: Marinko
authors: M
authors: Dobec
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D042483:Bordetella parapertussis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*