efficacy of multiplex PCR in comparison with agglutination and ELISA in diagnosis of human brucellosis

Human brucellosis is an endemic disease in many countries including Iran. Exact diagnosis of brucellosis is not just based on clinical symptoms, because it will be considered in differential diagnosis of other diseases. Therefore, defining organism in culture or identification of organism by serological and molecular methods for confirming clinical diagnosis is necessary. Our aim was to develop a diagnostic PCR assay and define the optimal clinical specimen for this test. This cross-sectional and descriptive study was from February 2011 to November 2012. Results of standard agglutination test [SAT] and specific immunoglobulin IgG and IgM by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] were compared with multiplex PCR in 116 patients with suspected brucellosis referred to the Ali Ebn-e-Abitaleb hospital, Rafsanjan, Iran. Their sera were collected and tested by SAT, ELISA and multiplex PCR. DNA was extracted from serum samples and examined by multiplex PCR involving specific primers for Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus based on IS711 in the brucella chromosome. Brucellosis was confirmed in 116 patients [75% male and 25% female] based on applied diagnostic methods and clinical features. Results of ELISA, the SAT, and PCR were positive in 116, respectively. B. abortus and B. melitensis were detected in 101 and 15 patients. The results of present study showed that multiplex PCR assay is a rapid and sensitive technique for diagnosis of brucellosis compared to SAT. However it is more accurate when coupled with conventional methods

Prevalence of campylobacter jejuni and coli in sheep carcasses by using cultural and PCR methods

Campylobacter species are common bacterial pathogens causing gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. A total of 148 randomly sheep carcasses were sampled by surface section of neck meat taken immediately after slaughter analyzed using microbiological examinations. Campylobacter spp. was isolated from 10.13% meat cultures samples examined. Among these 80% sample were C. jejuni and 20% sample were C. coli. Using PCR assays, the number of positive campylobacters increased to 11.48%. Of these positive samples, 82.35% were C. jejuni and 17.65% were C. coli. Significantly higher prevalence rates of Campylobacter spp. [p<0.05] were found in the meat samples taken in summer [47.05%]. The PCR is a reliable and sensitive method which can be used as a diagnostic technique for the detection of campylobacter in lamb samples