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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Evaluation of nested and real-time PCR assays in the diagnosis of candidaemia
Clinical Microbiology and Infection, Volume 15, No. 7, Year 2009
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Description
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays have a very low theoretical detection threshold and are therefore advocated for the diagnosis of fungaemia. However, their effectiveness in this respect remains to be assessed. This study compared real-time PCR (Can-G) and nested PCR assays with blood culture for the diagnosis of Candida spp. bloodstream infections. A total of 200 clinical blood samples obtained from 110 patients at risk for developing a systemic fungal infection, hospitalized in the University Hospital of Sfax (Tunisia), were submitted to testing by culture, nested PCR and real-time PCR. Blood culture was positive in 36 patients. When compared with culture, the Can -G assay (81% sensitivity, 96% specificity) performed better than the nested PCR assay (86% sensitivity, 54% specificity). The real-time PCR assay, which avoids both the contamination hazard with amplicons that may cause false-positive results and the use of time-consuming post-PCR steps, appears more suitable than the nested PCR assay for the laboratory diagnosis of Candida spp. bloodstream infections. In this study, real-time PCR did not enhance the diagnostic sensitivity for Candida spp. bloodstream infections compared with conventional blood culture; however, it may lead to earlier implementation of an adequately targeted antifungal treatment. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
Authors & Co-Authors
Khlif, Mohamed
Tunisia, Sfax
Faculty of Medicine of Sfax
Mary, Charles J.
France, Marseille
Hopital la Timone
Sellami, Hayet
Tunisia, Sfax
Faculty of Medicine of Sfax
Sellami, A.
Tunisia, Sfax
Faculty of Medicine of Sfax
Dumon, Henri
France, Marseille
Hopital la Timone
Ayadi, Ali
Tunisia, Sfax
Faculty of Medicine of Sfax
Ranque, S.
France, Marseille
Hopital la Timone
Statistics
Citations: 41
Authors: 7
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1111/j.1469-0691.2009.02762.x
ISSN:
1198743X
e-ISSN:
14690691
Research Areas
Environmental
Health System And Policy
Study Locations
Tunisia