Real-time quantitative PCR in detection of neonatal sepsis / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore a rapid diagnostic method in neonatal sepsis and bacterial me- ningitis. Methods The primers and TaqMan probes were designed and synthesized based on the sequences of bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Nineteen bacterial strains, 3 different viruses, fungus and human genomic DNA were tested by FQ-PCR assay. Blood specimens and CSF from 195 cases of suspected septicemia were detected with both TaqMan PCR assay and blood or/and CSF culture. Results The FQ-PCR showed very high sensitivity and specificity and was able to detect at least 10 copies of 16S rRNA gene equivalent to 1~2 copies bacterium. No cross-reaction was found with human genomic DNA, other fungus and viruses. Among the 195 cases, the positive rate by FQ-PCR was 12.8%(25 cases) and 7.1%(15 cases) by blood culture ( P