Clinical application of real-time fluorescence quantitive PCR for detecting Streptococcus pneumoniae / 中国生化药物杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To establish an assay for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae by real-time fluorescence quantititive polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Methods Special primers and probe for the autolysin A (lytA)gene were designed.The sensitivity and specificity of primers and probe were studied,and cut-off of cycle threshold was assayed.158 clinical specimens were confirmed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and bacterial culture method.Results Primer and probe design for LytA gene could sensitively detect serotype Streptococcus pneumoniae strains of common pathogenic,and the sensitivity was 100 copies.Among 35 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae,34 cases were detected to be positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,while 1 case was detected to be negative;among 15 strains of non-Streptococcus pneumoniae, all were detected to be negative.Among the 158 clinical sputum specimens,34 cases with Streptococcus pneumoniae were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,while only 10 cases with Streptococcus pneumoniae were detected by the culture method.White blood cells count and time in hospital of cases with Streptococcus pneumoniae were higher than those of cases without Streptococcus pneumoniae (P <0.05 ). Conclusion Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR is a sensitive and specific assay for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae.It can be used for the diagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae.