title: Real-time PCR measurement of persistence of Bordetella pertussis DNA in nasopharyngeal secretions during antibiotic treatment of young children with pertussis.
abstract: We used real-time PCR to examine the persistence of Bordetella pertussis DNA in serial nasopharyngeal aspirates from 22 children treated for pertussis. After 5 days of treatment, PCR was positive for all 21 assessable patients. After 14 and 21 days, PCR was still positive for 83% (10/12) and 66% (4/6) of assessable patients, respectively. One patient was tested 1 month after treatment initiation, and B. pertussis DNA was still detectable. Quantitative analysis showed that the DNA concentration diminished during treatment in all except one case. The PCR cycle threshold at which B. pertussis DNA became detectable increased by a mean of 1.7 cycles per day (range, 0.86 to 3.68 cycles per day). Real-time PCR can thus be used to diagnose pertussis in young children for up to 3 weeks after treatment initiation. Its potential value for assessing the treatment outcome remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Service de Microbiologie, Hôpital Robert-Debré, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, Paris 75395 cedex 19, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bidet
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liguori
authors.forename: Agathe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Lauzanne
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Caro
authors.forename: Mathie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorrot
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carol
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faye
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guiso
authors.forename: Edouard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bingen
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonacorsi