title: Evaluation of PCR Approaches for Detection of Bartonella bacilliformis in Blood Samples.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The lack of an effective diagnostic tool for Carrion's disease leads to misdiagnosis, wrong treatments and perpetuation of asymptomatic carriers living in endemic areas. Conventional PCR approaches have been reported as a diagnostic technique. However, the detection limit of these techniques is not clear as well as if its usefulness in low bacteriemia cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the detection limit of 3 PCR approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We determined the detection limit of 3 different PCR approaches: Bartonella-specific 16S rRNA, fla and its genes. We also evaluated the viability of dry blood spots to be used as a sample transport system. Our results show that 16S rRNA PCR is the approach with a lowest detection limit, 5 CFU/μL, and thus, the best diagnostic PCR tool studied. Dry blood spots diminish the sensitivity of the assay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the tested PCRs, the 16S rRNA PCR-approach is the best to be used in the direct blood detection of acute cases of Carrion's disease. However its use in samples from dry blood spots results in easier management of transport samples in rural areas, a slight decrease in the sensitivity was observed. The usefulness to detect by PCR the presence of low-bacteriemic or asymptomatic carriers is doubtful, showing the need to search for new more sensible techniques.
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinez-Puchol
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Centro de Investigación de la Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.affiliation: Dirección Regional de Salud de Cajamarca (DIRESA-Cajamarca), Cajamarca, Peru.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bazán
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Centro de Investigación de la Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tinco
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Centro de Investigación de la Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), Lima, Peru.|Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Juana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: del Valle
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D045503:Bartonella bacilliformis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D003890:Desiccation; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S