Higgins S P, Klapper P E, Struthers J K, Bailey A S, Gough A P, Moore R, Corbitt G, Bhattacharyya M N
Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK.
Int J STD AIDS. 1998 Jan;9(1):21-4. doi: 10.1258/0956462981921594.
We evaluated Cobas Amplicor, a highly automated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system, to test first-void urine (FVU) and urethral swab specimens for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in men attending a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic. Results were compared against an in-house radioimmune dot blot (DB) test for C. trachomatis and selective culture for N. gonorrhoeae. Three hundred and ninety sets of specimens were obtained from 378 consecutive new and returned-new patients. Gonorrhoea prevalence was 9.49%, with no significant difference in sensitivity or specificity between culture and PCR. Chlamydia prevalence was 15.4%, with sensitivities of: DB 55%, PCR of FVU 86.7%, urethral swab PCR 90%. The specificity of PCR on FVU and urethral swabs was 100%. We have shown that Cobas Amplicor PCR is highly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of chlamydia and gonorrhoea in men attending an STI clinic. Further economic and scientific studies are needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of this technique for screening in primary care settings.
我们评估了Cobas Amplicor，一种高度自动化的聚合酶链反应（PCR）系统，用于检测在性传播感染（STI）诊所就诊的男性的首次晨尿（FVU）和尿道拭子标本中的沙眼衣原体和淋病奈瑟菌。将结果与针对沙眼衣原体的内部放射免疫斑点印迹（DB）试验以及针对淋病奈瑟菌的选择性培养进行比较。从378名连续的新患者和复诊患者中获取了390套标本。淋病患病率为9.49%，培养法和PCR法在敏感性或特异性方面无显著差异。衣原体患病率为15.4%，敏感性分别为：DB法55%，FVU的PCR法86.7%，尿道拭子PCR法90%。FVU和尿道拭子PCR法的特异性均为100%。我们已经表明，Cobas Amplicor PCR在诊断STI诊所就诊男性的衣原体和淋病方面具有高度敏感性和特异性。需要进一步进行经济和科学研究，以确定该技术在初级保健机构筛查中的成本效益。
