Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays
The investigation of respiratory infections by molecular techniques provides important information about the epidemiology of respiratory disease, especially during the post-vaccination era. The objective of the present study was the detection of bacterial pathogens directly in clinical samples from...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2013-03-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/3/2/222 |
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| author | Jenny Kourea-Kremastinou Georgina Tzanakaki Panayotis Markoulatos Olga Paniara Antonia Makri Athina Argyropoulou Aliki Voyiatzi Maria Sioumala Maria Tsolia Athanasia Xirogianni |
| author_facet | Jenny Kourea-Kremastinou Georgina Tzanakaki Panayotis Markoulatos Olga Paniara Antonia Makri Athina Argyropoulou Aliki Voyiatzi Maria Sioumala Maria Tsolia Athanasia Xirogianni |
| author_sort | Jenny Kourea-Kremastinou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The investigation of respiratory infections by molecular techniques provides important information about the epidemiology of respiratory disease, especially during the post-vaccination era. The objective of the present study was the detection of bacterial pathogens directly in clinical samples from patients with upper and lower respiratory tract infections using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays developed in our laboratory. Clinical samples taken over a three-year period (2007–2009) and obtained from 349 patients (adults (n = 66); children (n = 283)) with signs and symptoms of certain upper or lower respiratory tract infections, consisted of: bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL, n = 83), pleural fluids (n = 29), and middle-ear aspirates (n = 237). Overall, 212 samples (61%) were confirmed by culture and/or PCR. Among the positive samples, Streptococcus pneumoniae (mainly serotype 3) was predominant (104/212; 49.0%), followed by non-typable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) 59/212; 27.8%) and Streptococcus pyogenes (47/212; 22%). Haemophilus influenzae type b was detected in only three samples. The underlying microbiology of respiratory infections is gradually changing in response to various selective pressures, such as vaccine use and antibiotic consumption. The application of multiplex PCR (mPCR) assays is particularly useful since it successfully identified the microorganisms implicated in acute otitis media or lower respiratory tract infections in nearly 75% of patients with a positive result compared to conventional cultures. Non-culture identification of the implicated pneumococcal serotypes is also an important issue for monitoring pneumococcal infections in the era of conjugate pneumococcal vaccines. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:53:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a1162285af604a83b07cf7d6ea38894a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:53:00Z |
| publishDate | 2013-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-a1162285af604a83b07cf7d6ea38894a2022-12-22T04:03:47ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182013-03-013222223110.3390/diagnostics3020222Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR AssaysJenny Kourea-KremastinouGeorgina TzanakakiPanayotis MarkoulatosOlga PaniaraAntonia MakriAthina ArgyropoulouAliki VoyiatziMaria SioumalaMaria TsoliaAthanasia XirogianniThe investigation of respiratory infections by molecular techniques provides important information about the epidemiology of respiratory disease, especially during the post-vaccination era. The objective of the present study was the detection of bacterial pathogens directly in clinical samples from patients with upper and lower respiratory tract infections using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays developed in our laboratory. Clinical samples taken over a three-year period (2007–2009) and obtained from 349 patients (adults (n = 66); children (n = 283)) with signs and symptoms of certain upper or lower respiratory tract infections, consisted of: bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL, n = 83), pleural fluids (n = 29), and middle-ear aspirates (n = 237). Overall, 212 samples (61%) were confirmed by culture and/or PCR. Among the positive samples, Streptococcus pneumoniae (mainly serotype 3) was predominant (104/212; 49.0%), followed by non-typable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) 59/212; 27.8%) and Streptococcus pyogenes (47/212; 22%). Haemophilus influenzae type b was detected in only three samples. The underlying microbiology of respiratory infections is gradually changing in response to various selective pressures, such as vaccine use and antibiotic consumption. The application of multiplex PCR (mPCR) assays is particularly useful since it successfully identified the microorganisms implicated in acute otitis media or lower respiratory tract infections in nearly 75% of patients with a positive result compared to conventional cultures. Non-culture identification of the implicated pneumococcal serotypes is also an important issue for monitoring pneumococcal infections in the era of conjugate pneumococcal vaccines.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/3/2/222ear aspiratespleural fluidsmolecular diagnosis |
| spellingShingle | Jenny Kourea-Kremastinou Georgina Tzanakaki Panayotis Markoulatos Olga Paniara Antonia Makri Athina Argyropoulou Aliki Voyiatzi Maria Sioumala Maria Tsolia Athanasia Xirogianni Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays Diagnostics ear aspirates pleural fluids molecular diagnosis |
| title | Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays |
| title_full | Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays |
| title_fullStr | Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays |
| title_short | Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays |
| title_sort | diagnosis of upper and lower respiratory tract bacterial infections with the use of multiplex pcr assays |
| topic | ear aspirates pleural fluids molecular diagnosis |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/3/2/222 |
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