title: Development and application of a universal Hemoplasma screening assay based on the SYBR green PCR principle.
abstract: Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are the causative agents of infectious anemia in several mammalian species. Their zoonotic potential has recently been substantiated by the identification of a feline hemoplasma isolate in an immunocompromised human patient. Although species-specific diagnostic molecular methods have been developed, their application as screening tools is limited due to the species diversity of hemoplasmas. The goals of this study were to develop a universal hemoplasma screening assay with broad specificity based on the SYBR green PCR principle, to compare the assay with hemoplasma-specific TaqMan PCR, and to analyze potential tick vectors and human blood samples to address the zoonotic potential. The newly developed PCR assay based on the 16S rRNA gene amplified feline, canine, bovine, porcine, camelid, and murine hemoplasmas, as well as Mycoplasma penetrans and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The lower detection limit for feline and canine hemoplasmas was 1 to 10 copies/PCR. The assay exhibited 98.2% diagnostic sensitivity and 92.1% diagnostic specificity for feline hemoplasmas. All 1,950 Ixodes ticks were PCR negative, suggesting that Ixodes ticks are not relevant vectors for the above-mentioned hemoplasma species in Switzerland. None of the 414 blood samples derived from anemic or immunocompromised human patients revealed a clear positive result. The SYBR green PCR assay described here is a suitable tool to screen for known and so-far-undiscovered hemoplasma species. Positive results should be confirmed by specific TaqMan PCR or sequencing.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Willi
authors.forename: Marina L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Ruedi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lüthy
authors.forename: Hanspeter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honegger
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wengi
authors.forename: Ludwig E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Hoelzle
authors.forename: Claudia E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Reusch
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hofmann-Lehmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003959:Diamines; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011804:Quinolines; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013557:Switzerland; D019914:Taq Polymerase
chemical_list: D052160:Benzothiazoles; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D003959:Diamines; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011804:Quinolines; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C098022:SYBR Green I; D019914:Taq Polymerase