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Diagnostic value of the polymerase chain reaction for Chlamydia detection as determined in a follow-up study.

Department of Molecular Biology, Diagnostic Centre SSDZ, Delft, The Netherlands.

ABSTRACT

The diagnostic value of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in comparison with that of the culture technique was established in a follow-up study of 32 patients (81 samples) who were treated for a C. trachomatis infection. The PCR was performed with two different sets of primers, a genus-specific primer set directed against the rRNA genes and a C. trachomatis-specific set directed against the common endogenous plasmid. After treatment with doxycycline, all patients became culture negative after 1 week. Results for the detection of C. trachomatis by the PCR were in complete agreement with the results by the culture method of detection, except for one culture-negative sample, which was found to be positive by the PCR. The results indicated that 1 week after treatment, no residual chlamydial DNA was found in the samples. Therefore, the PCR can be used for monitoring infections by chlamydiae.

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