title: Feasibility of real-time polymerase chain reaction in whole blood to identify Streptococcus pneumoniae in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: We assessed a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the lytA and ply gene of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Both assays were applied to whole blood samples from 28 adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Our findings suggest the lytA PCR is more sensitive, and the quantitative aspect of the assay shows promise as an aid to clinical judgment.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Western Australia. ckee@meddent.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Cordelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kee
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palladino
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pryce
authors.forename: Ronan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rello
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.forename: Manel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lujan
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Almagro
authors.forename: Grant W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Waterer
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013301:Streptolysins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D013301:Streptolysins; C032290:plY protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae