title: Evaluation of the automated Becton Dickinson MAX real-time PCR platform for detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii.
abstract: We evaluated the performance of the automated quantitative BD MAX (Becton Dickinson) real-time PCR platform for detecting Pneumocystis jirovecii.
  
  
  
  A total of 34 retrospective and 137 prospective samples were included.
  
  
  
  Retrospectively, all (100%) positive samples were correctly detected by this platform compared with a nested PCR. Among prospective samples, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 92.6%, 94.5%, 17.0 and 0.1, respectively. All bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)/bronchial washing samples were correctly identified by this platform. Samples from patients with colonization had significantly higher median amplification cycle threshold values than patients with P. jirovecii pneumonia.
  
  
  
  The quantitative BD MAX real-time PCR is a rapid and highly sensitive modality for detecting P. jirovecii, especially in samples from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid/bronchial washing fluid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jung-Yien
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Chien
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tai-Fen
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Laboratory Sciences & Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Tsung
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Hsing
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Huei
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chong-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Po-Ren
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hsueh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling
keywords: MSG; P. jirovecii pneumonia; PCR; Pneumocystis jirovecii; major surface glycoprotein; mtLSU PCR; nested mitochondrial large subunit (mtLSU) PCR; real-time PCR