Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Parasitology. 2011 Oct;138(12):1492-8. doi: 10.1017/S0031182011001211. Epub 2011 Aug 23.
In recent years, the isolation of parasitic DNA from faecal samples and PCR techniques, have been improved and simplified. Moreover, the introduction of real-time PCR has made it possible to multiplex different targets into one reaction. These new technical possibilities make it feasible to introduce PCR with its unsurpassed sensitivity and specificity in a routine laboratory setting for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites. Detection rates of the parasitic infections included in the PCR are increased significantly compared with microscopy. Molecular diagnostics, especially in children, reveal a possible cause of the gastrointestinal complaints in many more cases compared with conventional methods. Usually in GP patients no other pathogenic parasites are detected using microscopy and in the returning travellers additional parasites are found with microscopy in a minority of cases only. Multiplex real-time PCR offers a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic alternative for labour intensive microscopy in clinical laboratory practice. Additional diagnostic methods for the detection of parasitic infections that are not included as PCR target can be limited to a selected group of patients.
近年来，从粪便样本中分离寄生虫 DNA 的方法和 PCR 技术得到了改进和简化。此外，实时 PCR 的引入使得可以在一个反应中同时检测多个不同的靶标。这些新的技术可能性使得在常规实验室环境中引入 PCR 成为可能，PCR 具有无与伦比的灵敏度和特异性，可用于肠道寄生虫的诊断。与显微镜检查相比，PCR 检测寄生虫感染的检出率显著提高。与传统方法相比，分子诊断技术，尤其是在儿童中，能够揭示胃肠道症状的更多可能病因。通常情况下，使用显微镜在全科医生患者中未检测到其他致病性寄生虫，而在返回旅行者中，只有少数情况下通过显微镜检查发现其他寄生虫。多重实时 PCR 为临床实验室实践中劳动密集型显微镜检查提供了一种高度敏感和特异的诊断替代方法。对于未作为 PCR 靶标的寄生虫感染的其他诊断方法，可以仅限于一组选定的患者。
