title: The L2b real-time PCR targeting the pmpH gene of Chlamydia trachomatis used for the diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum is not specific to L2b strains.
abstract: The French Reference Centre for chlamydiae uses two real-time PCRs targeting the pmpH gene of Chlamydia trachomatis to differentiate between L strains and variant L2b, responsible for a lymphogranuloma venereum outbreak in Europe. We compared the results obtained for 122 L2b C. trachomatis-positive specimens, using the two real-time PCRs, with the sequencing of the ompA gene. Only 91 specimens were confirmed as L2b. Our results demonstrate that the lymphogranuloma venereum outbreak is no longer dominated by the variant L2b, and that many L-positive specimens were misidentified as L2b with the method used, which raises the question of its specificity.
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France; INRA, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Touati
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France; INRA, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France; Bacteriology Department, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Peuchant
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France; INRA, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hénin
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France; INRA, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France; Bacteriology Department, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bébéar
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France; INRA, USC EA3671 Mycoplasmal and Chlamydial Infections in Humans, and National Reference Centre for Chlamydia, France; Bacteriology Department, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: bertille.de-barbeyrac@u-bordeaux.fr.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Barbeyrac
mesh_terms: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008219:Lymphogranuloma Venereum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; C410162:PmpH protein, Chlamydia trachomatis; C078167:OMPA outer membrane proteins
keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; L2b; lymphogranuloma venereum; ompA gene; pmpH gene