This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Battle, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by Holmes, K. K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Battle, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by Holmes, K. K.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2001, p. 2924-2927, Vol. 39, No. 8
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.8.2924-2927.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Laboratory Testing Methods for Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in the Era of Nucleic Acid Amplification

Tamara J. Battle,1,4 Matthew R. Golden,1,3,* Kathleen L. Suchland,1 Jon M. Counts,2 James P. Hughes,5 Walter E. Stamm,1 and King K. Holmes1

Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for AIDS & STD,1 and Department of Biostatistics,5 University of Washington, Public Health-Seattle & King County,3 and Washington State Public Health Laboratory,2 Seattle, Washington, and College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, D.C.4

Received 9 April 2001/Returned for modification 4 May 2001/Accepted 26 May 2001

Diagnostic tests presently available for Chlamydia trachomatis have widely varying performance characteristics. To assess evolving laboratory testing practices since the introduction of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT), we surveyed laboratories in Washington State about their testing practices in 1998 and compared our findings to a similar survey conducted in 1995. Laboratory directors of 61 (87%) of 70 laboratories performing chlamydial tests in 1998 returned a survey. Between 1995 and 1998, 36 laboratories discontinued chlamydial testing, and the total number of laboratories performing tests in the state decreased from 92 to 70, a 24% decline. Of the 36 laboratories that discontinued testing, 25 (69%) had previously used rapid tests. While no laboratory routinely used NAAT in 1995, ligase chain reaction (LCR) was used in 23% of laboratories in 1998 and accounted for 113,624 (36%) of the 318,133 tests performed that year. Among the remaining 204,509 tests performed in 1998, other tests employed included DNA probe (29%), enzyme immunoassay (20%), culture (12%), direct fluorescent antibody assays (3%), and rapid tests (<1%). The majority (65%) of tests performed in 1998 using technologies other than LCR or culture were done in laboratories that did more than 10,000 tests. Cost and loss of revenue to laboratories were the most frequently cited reasons for not adopting NAAT. We conclude that in Washington State, NAAT have been rapidly adopted in larger laboratories, but most patients are still tested with much less sensitive technologies. Financial constraints represent the major barrier to more widespread use of DNA amplification tests.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Harborview Medical Center, Box 359931, 325 9th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104-2499. Phone: (206) 731-6829. Fax: (206) 731-4151. E-mail: golden{at}u.washington.edu.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2001, p. 2924-2927, Vol. 39, No. 8
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.8.2924-2927.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Golden, M. R., Astete, S. G., Galvan, R., Lucchetti, A., Sanchez, J., Celum, C. L., Whittington, W. L. H., Stamm, W. E., Holmes, K. K., Totten, P. A. (2003). Pilot Study of COBAS PCR and Ligase Chain Reaction for Detection of Rectal Infections Due to Chlamydia trachomatis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 2174-2175 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gaffney, R., Chakerian, A., O'Connell, J. X., Mathers, J., Garner, K., Joste, N., Viswanatha, D. S. (2003). Novel Fluorescent Ligase Detection Reaction and Flow Cytometric Analysis of SYT-SSX Fusions in Synovial Sarcoma. J. Mol. Diagn. 5: 127-135 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Van Der Pol, B., Williams, J. A., Smith, N. J., Batteiger, B. E., Cullen, A. P., Erdman, H., Edens, T., Davis, K., Salim-Hammad, H., Chou, V. W., Scearce, L., Blutman, J., Payne, W. J. (2002). Evaluation of the Digene Hybrid Capture II Assay with the Rapid Capture System for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 3558-3564 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»