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Development of a simplex polymerase chain reaction-based assay for the detection of Neisseria meningitidis
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Development of a simplex polymerase chain reaction-based assay for the detection of Neisseria meningitidis

J Z Glustein, Y Z Zhang, R M Wadowsky and G D Ehrlich
Molecular diagnosis, v 4(3), pp 233-239
01 Sep 1999
PMID: 10553023

Abstract

Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medical Laboratory Technology Medicine, Research & Experimental Research & Experimental Medicine Science & Technology
Background: This study was undertaken to develop a sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae that could ultimately be incorporated into a multiplex assay designed to screen cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for a panel of pyogenic bacterial species associated with bacterial meningitis. Methods: N. meningitidis-specific primers were designed from porA gene sequences with the aid of a commercial software program and were used to develop and validate a clinical assay using a liquid hybridization-gel retardation detection system. The analytic sensitivity of the assay was determined using CSF spiked with N. meningitidis and comparing the PCR-based results with culture. Results: Analytic sensitivity experiments showed the assay's limit of detection to be 100 fg purified input target DNA and 0.0125 colony-forming units of N. meningitidis spiked into CSF Specificity experiments showed the assay could detect all strains of N. meningitidis and N .gonorrhoeae tested, but did not support amplification of the commensal neisserial species or a panel of other human bacterial pathogens. Conclusions: This PCR-based assay for pathogenic neisserial species is sensitive and specific and suitable for incorporation into a multiplex assay for the clinical differentiation of aseptic and septic meningitis.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Medical Laboratory Technology
Medicine, Research & Experimental
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