Department of Mycology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210042, China.
Eur J Dermatol. 2011 Jan-Feb;21(1):37-42. doi: 10.1684/ejd.2010.1152.
A rapid and reliable triplex PCR procedure was developed to detect pathogenic fungi directly from specimens of onychomycosis. One hundred and four patients were included in this study. Of them, forty-five (43.3%) were finally diagnosed with onychomycosis according to the diagnostic criteria. The sensitivity of PCR, microscopy and culture were 93.3%, 100% and 64.4%, respectively; the specificities were 100%, 86.4% and 100%, respectively; the positive predictive values were 100%, 84.9% and 100%, respectively; the negative predictive values were 95.2%, 100% and 78.7%, respectively. This molecular diagnostic process could distinguish the 3 groups of pathogens in onychomycosis (dermatophyte, yeast and mold) and could be completed within 8 h. This multiplex PCR assay could used in laboratories with no mycological specialization for rapid etiologic diagnosis and treatment selection, especially in suspected fungus cases if they can not be detected by conventional methods or if a rapid diagnosis of onychomycosis is needed.
本研究共纳入 104 例患者，其中根据诊断标准最终确诊为甲真菌病 45 例（43.3%）。PCR、显微镜检查和培养的灵敏度分别为 93.3%、100%和 64.4%；特异性分别为 100%、86.4%和 100%；阳性预测值分别为 100%、84.9%和 100%；阴性预测值分别为 95.2%、100%和 78.7%。该分子诊断过程可以区分甲真菌病中的 3 组病原体（真菌、酵母和霉菌），并可在 8 小时内完成。该多重 PCR 检测方法可用于无真菌学专业的实验室进行快速病因诊断和治疗选择，特别是在常规方法无法检测到疑似真菌感染的情况下，或者需要快速诊断甲真菌病的情况下。
