Journal article
Evidence of Bacterial Metabolic Activity in Culture-Negative Otitis Media With Effusion
JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association, v 279(4)
28 Jan 1998
PMID: 9450714
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
CONTEXT.— Otitis media with effusion (OME) can lead to significant hearing loss
in children. Although previous studies have shown that bacterial DNA is present
in a significant percentage of effusions sterile by culture, whether the DNA
represents viable organisms or "fossilized remains" is unknown. OBJECTIVE.— To determine if bacterial messenger RNA (mRNA), as detected by a reverse
transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)–based assay,
is present in chronic pediatric middle ear effusions that contain bacterial
DNA but are sterile by standard cultural methods. Bacterial mRNAs have a half-life
measured in seconds to minutes; therefore, detection of bacteria-specific
mRNAs would be evidence that metabolically active organisms are present. DESIGN.— Blinded comparative study. PATIENTS.— A total of 93 effusions from pediatric outpatients seen for myringotomy
and tube placement for chronic (>3 months) OME (median age of children, 17
months). SETTING.— Tertiary care pediatric hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES.— Percentage of positive test results for RT-PCR–based assays compared
with culture for Haemophilus influenzae and concordance
between RT-PCR and PCR-based findings for bacterial nucleic acids. RESULTS.— Eleven (11.8%) of the 93 specimens tested positive by culture, PCR,
and RT-PCR for H influenzae. A total of 29 specimens
(31.2%) were positive by PCR but negative by culture for H influenzae. All 29 specimens were positive by RT-PCR for H influenzae–specific mRNA. CONCLUSIONS.— The RT-PCR–based assay system can detect the presence of bacterial
mRNA in a significant percentage of culturally sterile middle ear effusions,
establishing the presence of viable, metabolically active, intact organisms
in some culture-negative OME.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Evidence of Bacterial Metabolic Activity in Culture-Negative Otitis Media With Effusion
- Creators
- Mark G RaynerYingze ZhangMichael C GorryYiping ChenJ. Christopher PostGarth D Ehrlich
- Publication Details
- JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association, v 279(4)
- Publisher
- American Medical Association
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000071607000037
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-0032573876
- Other Identifier
- 991014878237104721
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Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Microbiology