title: Duration of polymerase chain reaction-detectable DNA after treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis infections in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To avoid positive results attributable to residual DNA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding repeat testing with nucleic-acid based tests within 3 weeks after treatment of chlamydial (Chlamydia trachomatis [CT]) or gonococcal (Neisseria gonorrhoeae [GC]) infection. We retrospectively analyzed the duration of detectable DNA from a longitudinal cohort of adolescent women after diagnosis and treatment of infection with CT, GC, or Trichomonas vaginalis (TV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Vaginal swabs were obtained weekly from young women for up to 12 weeks (observation period) after treatment of CT, GC and TV infections. Swabs were tested using a commercially available first generation nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for CT and GC, and a laboratory developed NAAT for TV. Kaplan-Meier statistics were used to estimate median time to the first negative DNA-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Observation periods were available for analysis for 195, 82 and 102 treatments for CT, GC, and TV infection, respectively. Median time to a first negative PCR result for CT, GC, and TV was 9 (range 0-84), 6 (0-76), and 7 (0-84) days, and by day 21, 89%, 95%, and 85% were negative, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from this retrospective analysis indicate that greater than 85% of these young women did not have detectable CT, GC, or TV DNA by day 21 post-treatment. This data may be useful to clinicians for patient management and post-treatment testing purposes.
authors: From the *Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN; and †University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL.
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: Williams
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Ofner
authors: Byron E
authors: BE
authors: Batteiger
authors: J Dennis
authors: JD
authors: Fortenberry
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Van Der Pol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013997:Time Factors; D014247:Trichomonas Vaginitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial