title: Detecting asymptomatic Trichomonas vaginalis in females using the BD ProbeTec™ Trichomonas vaginalis Qxnucleic acid amplification test.
abstract: Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) rates in women are increasing and many are asymptomatic. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are becoming the 'gold standard' for diagnosis. We aimed to establish our asymptomatic TV rates by testing all women attending Oxfordshire's Sexual Health service, regardless of symptoms, using the BD ProbeTec™ TV QxNAATs (BDQx). During BDQx's verification process, the sensitivity and specificity were calculated using results of 220 endocervical samples from symptomatic women, compared with culture. BDQxwas subsequently implemented and prospectively evaluated over 6 months in female attendees. Wet mount microscopy was also performed in symptomatics. Demographic and clinical characteristics of those diagnosed were analysed. From 220 samples tested by BDQxand culture: 5 were positive on both and one solely using BDQx, giving a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 99.53%, respectively. In the prospective cohort, of 5775 BDQxtests, 33 (0.57%) were positive. 11/33 (33%) patients were asymptomatic. All patients diagnosed had risk factors: age >25 years (85%), residence in a deprived area (79%) and black ethnicity (21%). Despite BDQxbeing highly sensitive and specific, with our low TV prevalence universal screening may not be justified. Targeted screening using local demographic data merits further investigation.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Sexual Health, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Tana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Newnham
authors.affiliation: 3 Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, The University of Oxford, UK.|4 Nuffield Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dorrell
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jesuthasan
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jeffery
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Sexual Health, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sherrard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D002584:Cervix Uteri; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
keywords: Diagnosis; epidemiology; screening; trichomoniasis (Trichomonas vaginalis)