title: [Detection of bacterial meningitis by multiplex polymerase chain reaction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a rapid method for detecting 8 pathogens which were highly related to bacterial meningitis by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  By optimizing the reaction condition and amplification program of single pair polymerase chain reaction, the multiplex pairs polymerase chain reactions (M-PCR) was developed to identify eight pathogens simultaneously including Neisseria Meningitis, Haemophilus Influenzae, Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Cryptococcus Neoformans, Staphylococcus Aureus, Listerisa Monocytogene, Streptococcus Suis and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Meanwhile, The sensitivity of M-PCR assay was also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  M-PCR methods for detecting 8 pathogens which could cause bacterial meningitis have been established. M-PCR showed specific, sensitive and more rapid than conventional culturing method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This multiplex polymerase chain reaction method can be used for diagnosis and scanning of suspicious bacterial meningitis cases in order to improve the diagnostic positive rate of bacterial meningitis cases.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Shu-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Ma-Chao
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors