title: A multicenter pilot external quality assessment programme to assess the quality of molecular detection of Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
abstract: An external quality assessment (EQA) panel consisting of a total of 13 samples in broncho alveolar lavage (BAL) or transport medium was prepared to assess the proficiency of laboratories in the correct detection of Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae by nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAATs) (6 samples containing various concentrations (4.9-490 inclusion forming units (IFU)/ml) of C. pneumoniae, 5 samples containing various concentrations (20-5000 color-changing units (CCU)/ml) of M. pneumoniae and 2 samples negative for both). Seventy-nine laboratories from 18 countries participated in this EQA study. Sixty-four datasets were returned for C. pneumoniae (n=5 conventional commercial, n=10 conventional in-house, n=4 real-time commercial, n=43 real-time in-house, and n=2 SDA). Sixty-seven datasets were obtained for M. pneumoniae (n=5 conventional commercial, n=10 conventional in-house, n=4 real-time commercial, n=46 real-time in-house, and n=2 strand displacement amplification (SDA)). For the total panels, correct results per sample varied between 95.3% and 100% for C. pneumoniae and between 53.7% and 95.5% for M. pneumoniae. In general, commercial conventional NAATs showed possible sensitivity issues when compared to conventional in-house NAATs for both organisms. On the other hand, real-time commercial NAATs scored better than real-time in-house assays in terms of sensitivity for both organisms. For C. pneumoniae and M. pneumoniae, 0.8% and 2.2% true false-positive results and 1.9% and 2.0% false positives were reported in the samples spiked with the other organism. Analysis of the data for C. pneumoniae showed that the concentrations used were easily detectable by the vast majority of participants. The percentage of correct qualitative results for M. pneumoniae demonstrated that the concentrations included in this panel proved challenging for a number of participants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. Katherine.loens@ua.ac.be
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Loens
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ieven
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011786:Quality Control