Laboratory for Bacteriology Research, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
BMC Microbiol. 2010 Sep 24;10:245. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-10-245.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the major respiratory pathogen causing severe lung infections among CF patients, leading to high morbidity and mortality. Once infection is established, early antibiotic treatment is able to postpone the transition to chronic lung infection. In order to optimize the early detection, we compared the sensitivity of microbiological culture and quantitative PCR (qPCR) for the detection of P. aeruginosa in respiratory samples of not chronically infected CF patients.
In this national study, we followed CF patients during periods between 1 to 15 months. For a total of 852 samples, 729 (86%) remained P. aeruginosa negative by both culture and qPCR, whereas 89 samples (10%) were positive by both culture and qPCR.Twenty-six samples were negative by culture but positive by qPCR, and 10 samples were positive by culture but remained negative by qPCR. Five of the 26 patients with a culture negative, qPCR positive sample became later P. aeruginosa positive both by culture and qPCR.
Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that qPCR may have a predictive value for impending P. aeruginosa infection for only a limited number of patients.
铜绿假单胞菌是引起 CF 患者严重肺部感染的主要呼吸道病原体，导致高发病率和死亡率。一旦发生感染，早期抗生素治疗能够延缓向慢性肺部感染的转变。为了优化早期检测，我们比较了微生物培养和定量 PCR（qPCR）检测非慢性感染 CF 患者呼吸道样本中铜绿假单胞菌的敏感性。
在这项全国性研究中，我们在 1 至 15 个月的时间段内对 CF 患者进行了随访。共 852 个样本中，729 个（86%）通过培养和 qPCR 均为阴性，而 89 个样本（10%）通过培养和 qPCR 均为阳性。26 个样本培养阴性但 qPCR 阳性，10 个样本培养阳性但 qPCR 仍为阴性。26 个培养阴性、qPCR 阳性样本中的 5 个后来通过培养和 qPCR 均为铜绿假单胞菌阳性。
根据这项研究的结果，可以得出结论，qPCR 可能对少数即将发生铜绿假单胞菌感染的患者具有预测价值。
