title: A pilot study for diagnosis of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections by polymerase chain reaction among symptomatic Indian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial etiology of sexually transmitted infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A pilot study was designed using PCR for amplification and detection of a specific 517 bp sequence of the common endogenous plasmid of C. trachomatis from clinical swab specimens obtained from symptomatic female patients attending STD clinics of AIIMS and Regional STD Teaching, Training & Research Center, Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi.
  
  
  METHODS
  97 patients were recruited in the study, and endocervical swabs were collected following standard procedures. The samples were analyzed by PCR and direct fluorescence antibody (DFA) for detection of C. trachomatis, and the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of PCR were calculated taking DFA as gold standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 97 samples tested, 9 were positive for C. trachomatis by PCR. 1 PCR positive patient was negative by DFA although a total of 11 patients were positive by DFA. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of PCR with reference to DFA was 72.73%, 98.84%, 88.89% and 96.59%, respectively. This PCR had high specificity and NPV for detection of C.trachomatis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In light of the introduction of enhanced syndromic approach, which involves the use of laboratory techniques (wherever possible) to confirm clinical diagnosis, a diagnostic PCR with high specificity and NPV is particularly valuable for determination of etiological diagnosis and hence contribute to judicious use of antimicrobials in the community.
authors: Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.
authors: Seema
authors: S
authors: Sood
authors: Anjan
authors: A
authors: Mukherjee
authors: Manju
authors: M
authors: Bala
authors: Gita
authors: G
authors: Satpathy
authors: Neeraj
authors: N
authors: Mahajan
authors: Anjana
authors: A
authors: Sharma
authors: Arti
authors: A
authors: Kapil
authors: Vinod Kumar
authors: VK
authors: Sharma
authors: Ravindra Mohan
authors: RM
authors: Pandey
authors: Jyotish Chandra
authors: JC
authors: Samantaray
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial