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New methods in diagnostic and epidemiological research of Chlamydia trachomatis infections: the tide is turning molecular
Author(s) -
Ossewaarde J.M.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3083.1995.tb00530.x
Subject(s) - chlamydia trachomatis , medicine , epidemiology , chlamydiales , chlamydia , chlamydiaceae , virology , immunology
Objective The aim of this review is to provide a primer on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology for the clinical diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infections. Two main applications are reviewed: detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in clinical specimens For diagnosis, and genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis for epidemiological purposes. Background Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the major causes of sexually transmitted diseases throughout the world. Laboratory techniques to establish a definitive diagnosis have been hampered by a lack of sensitivity. This review describes the state of the art of the application of polymerase chain reaction based assays to the diagnosis and epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis infections. Results The basic principles of PCR assays are described. General guide‐lines for collecting specimens are reviewed. The application of home‐made PCR‐based assays and of the commercially available Amplieor assay in laboratory diagnosis is described. The first results of the application of LCR assays are mentioned. Comments arc made on the interpretation of the results and on the importance of quality assessment. Finally. PCR‐based techniques for genotyping of clinical isolates in epidemiological studies are described. Conclusion The introduction of specific DNA amplification methods provides new ways to implement laboratory diagnosis and enhances our insights in the epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis infections. At this moment PCR‐based assays are probably the most sensitive assays for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis available. Application of PCR‐based assays might yield higher prevalences of Chlamydia trachomatis infections than currently recognized. Application of PCR‐based genotyping methods will reveal more useful epidemiological data and will unravel more precisely existing sexual networks.