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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 1998, p. 2356-2358, Vol. 36, No. 8
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of PCR in Genital and Urine Specimens Submitted for Chlamydia trachomatis Testing

B. Toye,1,2,* W. Woods,1 M. Bobrowska,2 and K. Ramotar1

Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine1 and Medicine,2 Ottawa General Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Received 1 December 1997/Returned for modification 16 March 1998/Accepted 28 April 1998

We determined the frequency of PCR inhibition in genital and urine specimens submitted for Chlamydia trachomatis testing using the internal control DNA provided with the COBAS AMPLICOR C. trachomatis test and assessed methods to remove it. Inhibition occurred in 65 of 906 (7%) cervical swabs, 23 of 51 (45%) urethral swabs, and 2 of 175 (1.1%) urine samples. Overall, inhibition was eliminated in processed specimens after storage at 4°C in 77 of 90 specimens (86%), freezing at -70°C in 59 of 82 specimens (72%), storage at 4°C followed by either 1:100 dilution in 37 of 43 specimens (86%) or 1:10 dilution in 42 of 47 specimens (89%), and phenol-chloroform extraction in 79 of 80 specimens (99%). No positive specimens were missed due to inhibition. We conclude that PCR inhibition is rare with urine specimens and infrequent with endocervical swabs but occurs frequently with urethral swabs. The frequency of PCR inhibition may be significantly reduced by methods which can be easily incorporated into the processing of specimens.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Microbiology, Ottawa General Hospital, 501 Smyth Rd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8L6. Phone: (613) 737-8323. Fax: (613) 737-8315. E-mail: btoye{at}ogh.on.ca.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 1998, p. 2356-2358, Vol. 36, No. 8
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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