title: Comparison of 2 real-time PCR assays for diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and non-HIV immunocompromised patients.
abstract: A total of 120 bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from HIV and non-HIV immunocompromised patients, positive for Pneumocystis jirovecii by an "in house" real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were evaluated by the Bio-Evolution Pneumocystis real-time PCR, a commercial quantitative assay. Patients were classified in 2 categories based on clinical and radiological findings: definite and unlikely Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). For the "in house" PCR, cycle threshold 34 was established as cut-off value to discriminate definite PCP from unlikely PCP with 65% and 85% of sensitivity and specificity, respectively. For the Bio-Evolution quantitative PCR, a cut-off value of 2.8×10(5)copies/mL was defined with 72% and 82% of sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Overlapped zones of results for definite and unlikely PCP were observed. Quantitative PCR is probably a useful tool for PCP diagnosis. However, for optimal management of PCP in non-HIV immunocompromised patients, operational thresholds should be assessed according to underlying diseases and other clinical and radiological parameters.
authors: Microbiology Department, Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Carlota.Montesinos@erasme.ulb.ac.be.
authors: Isabel
authors: I
authors: Montesinos
authors: Microbiology Department, Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Francoise.Brancart@erasme.ulb.ac.be.
authors: Françoise
authors: F
authors: Brancart
authors: Infectious Diseases, Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: kindaschepers@gmail.com.
authors: Kinda
authors: K
authors: Schepers
authors: Infectious Diseases, Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Frederique.Jacobs@erasme.ulb.ac.be.
authors: Frederique
authors: F
authors: Jacobs
authors: Microbiology Department, Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Olivier.Denis@erasme.ulb.ac.be.
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Denis
authors: Microbiology Department, Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Marie-Luce.Delforge@erasme.ulb.ac.be.
authors: Marie-Luce
authors: ML
authors: Delforge
mesh_terms: D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia; Quantitative real-time PCR