Previous Article | Next Article 
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2004, p. 239-241, Vol. 42, No. 1
0095-1137/04/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.1.239-241.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Validation of Roche COBAS Amplicor Assay for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in Rectal and Pharyngeal Specimens by an omp1 PCR Assay
N. A. Lister, S. N. Tabrizi,* C. K. Fairley, and S. Garland
Department of Public Health, The University of Melbourne, and Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Women's Hospital, Women's and Children's Health, Melbourne, Australia
Received 3 September 2003/
Returned for modification 14 October 2003/
Accepted 23 October 2003
Screening guidelines for men who have sex with men (MSM) recommend testing of extragenital sites (pharyngeal and rectal) for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Testing of specimens from these sites is not validated by most commercial nucleic amplification tests, such as the COBAS Amplicor assay. To investigate the utility of the COBAS Amplicor assay for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in extragenital specimens, this study developed and evaluated confirmatory tests using the omp1 gene as an alternative target for amplification by PCR. Of anal and throat swabs collected from men in male-only saunas, 52 swabs that tested C. trachomatis positive by COBAS Amplicor and 30 swabs that tested as negative were included for confirmatory omp1 PCR testing. A total of 49 (94%) COBAS Amplicor-positive samples were confirmed by the omp1 PCR. A substantial proportion of specimens were confirmed by using a nested omp1 PCR (27%). Not confirmed by any omp1 PCR were three anal swabs (6%). It is most probable that these samples contained lower bacterial levels that were near or below the detection level of the omp1 PCR assays. The findings of this study support the confident reporting of C. trachomatis detected by COBAS Amplicor in extragenital specimens and support the utility of this assay as a screening test for MSM.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Molecular Microbiology, The Royal Women's Hospital, 132 Grattan St., Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia. Phone: (61-3) 9344-2050. Fax: (61-3) 9344-2713. E-mail: Sepehr.Tabrizi{at}wch.org.au.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2004, p. 239-241, Vol. 42, No. 1
0095-1137/04/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.1.239-241.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Carre, H, Boman, J, Osterlund, A, Garden, B, Nylander, E
(2008). Improved contact tracing for Chlamydia trachomatis with experienced tracers, tracing for one year back in time and interviewing by phone in remote areas. Sex. Transm. Infect.
84: 239-242
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
McMillan, A, Kell, P, Ward, H, on behalf of the British Co-operative Clinical Gro,
(2008). Diagnosing chlamydia and managing proctitis in men who have sex with men: current UK practice. Sex. Transm. Infect.
84: 97-100
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Alexander, S., Martin, I., Ison, C.
(2007). Confirming the Chlamydia trachomatis status of referred rectal specimens. Sex. Transm. Infect.
83: 327-329
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Hamlyn, E, Taylor, C
(2006). Sexually transmitted proctitis. Postgrad. Med. J.
82: 733-736
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Skidmore, S, Horner, P, Mallinson, H, on behalf of the HPA Chlamydia Diagnosis Forum,
(2006). Testing specimens for Chlamydia trachomatis.. Sex. Transm. Infect.
82: 272-275
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Hsu, M.-C., Tsai, P.-Y., Chen, K.-T., Li, L.-H., Chiang, C.-C., Tsai, J.-J., Ke, L.-Y., Chen, H.-Y., Li, S.-Y.
(2006). Genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis from clinical specimens in Taiwan.. J Med Microbiol
55: 301-308
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Hamlyn, E, McAllister, J, Winston, A, Sinclair, B, Amin, J, Carr, A, Cooper, D A
(2006). Is screening for sexually transmitted infections in men who have sex with men who receive non-occupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis worthwhile?. Sex. Transm. Infect.
82: 21-23
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Jalal, H, Stephen, H, Al-Suwaine, A, Sonnex, C, Carne, C
(2006). The superiority of polymerase chain reaction over an amplified enzyme immunoassay for the detection of genital chlamydial infections. Sex. Transm. Infect.
82: 37-40
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Morre, S. A., Spaargaren, J., Fennema, J. S. A., de Vries, H. J. C., Sturm, P. D. J., Moodley, P., Govender, K., Bohlken, L., Vanmali, T., Sturm, A. W.
(2005). Molecular Diagnosis of Lymphogranuloma Venereum: PCR-Based Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism and Real-Time PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol.
43: 5412-5413
[Full Text]
-
Lister, N. A., Fairley, C. K., Tabrizi, S. N., Garland, S., Smith, A.
(2005). Chlamydia trachomatis Serovars Causing Urogenital Infections in Women in Melbourne, Australia. J. Clin. Microbiol.
43: 2546-2547
[Full Text]
-
Lister, N. A, Tabrizi, S. N., Fairley, C. K., Smith, A., Janssen, P. H., Garland, S.
(2004). Variability of the Chlamydia trachomatis omp1 Gene Detected in Samples from Men Tested in Male-Only Saunas in Melbourne, Australia. J. Clin. Microbiol.
42: 2596-2601
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
Copyright © 2004 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.