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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 2001, p. 1661-1664, Vol. 39, No. 4
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.4.1661-1664.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Serum Is the Preferred Clinical Specimen for Diagnosis of Human Brucellosis by PCR

L. Zerva,1,* K. Bourantas,2 S. Mitka,3 A. Kansouzidou,3 and N. J. Legakis1

Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National University of Athens, Athens,1 Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina,2 and Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital of Infectious Diseases, Thessaloniki,3 Greece

Received 5 September 2000/Returned for modification 5 November 2000/Accepted 20 January 2001

Human brucellosis poses a significant public health problem in many developing countries and requires fast and accurate diagnosis. A PCR assay amplifying part of the 31-kDa Brucella abortus antigenic protein gene sequence was developed and applied to whole-blood and serum samples from 31 brucellosis patients and 45 healthy individuals. All patients except one had detectable Brucella DNA in either whole blood or serum (combined sensitivity, 97%), but the assay sensitivity was higher with serum samples (94%) than with whole-blood samples (61%). The assay specificity was excellent (100%). A confirmatory PCR assay targeting another Brucella gene region (omp-2) was also developed but lacked sensitivity. Serum is the optimal specimen for the diagnosis of brucellosis by PCR, a choice that leads to assay simplification and shortens turnaround time.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Medical School, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Assias St., 11527 Goudi, Athens, Greece. Phone: (30-1) 778-5638. Fax: (30-1) 770-9180. E-mail: lzerva{at}cc.uoa.gr.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 2001, p. 1661-1664, Vol. 39, No. 4
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.4.1661-1664.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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