This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Prior, R B Articles by Spagna, V A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Prior, R B Articles by Spagna, V A

Comparative evaluation of the tube and microdilution Limulus lysate techniques for rapid presumptive diagnosis of gonococcal urethritis in men.

ABSTRACT

Eighty-one men with exudative urethritis were evaluated on initial visit for gonococcal urethritis by using the standard tube and newly developed microdilution Limulus amoebocyte lysate techniques. Serial dilutions of clinical specimens ranging from 1:100 to 1:102,400 were each tested, and results correlated with Gram stain and culture. Overall accuracy for predicting culture results was 98% for a dilution of 1:200 and 99% for a dilution of 1:400 for the tube and microdilution techniques, respectively. The microdilution technique predicted culture results in 98% of cases for dilutions ranging from 1:400 to 1:1,600, whereas the tube technique was as accurate for dilutions of only 1:100 and 1:200. The microdilution Limulus amoebocyte lysate technique was a rapid, reliable, sensitive, and economical diagnostic aid in the initial evaluation of exudative urethritis in men.