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 Zhang, W.
Right arrow Articles by Zhang, D. Y.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Zhang, W.
Right arrow Articles by Zhang, D. Y.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2002, p. 128-132, Vol. 40, No. 1
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.1.128-132.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis by Isothermal Ramification Amplification Method: a Feasibility Study

Wandi Zhang,1 Menashi Cohenford,2 Brian Lentrichia,2 Henry D. Isenberg,1 Elkin Simson,1 Hengjin Li,1 Jizu Yi,1 and David Y. Zhang1*

Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York University, New York, New York 10029,1 Cytyc Corporation, Boxborough, Massachusetts 017192

Received 13 August 2001/ Returned for modification 24 September 2001/ Accepted 28 October 2001

Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause of sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Effective screening for this agent can facilitate prompt treatment and prevent its sequelae. The recent introduction of liquid-based cytology has made possible the simultaneous screening of cervical intraepithelial lesions and detection of C. trachomatis in a single collection vial. In this study we determined whether cytological fluid could support DNA-based amplification for the detection of C. trachomatis. Three methods were compared, including ramification amplification (RAM), real-time PCR with molecular beacon, and Abbott’s ligase chain reaction (LCx). RAM is a novel, recently introduced, isothermal DNA amplification technique that utilizes a circular probe for target detection and achieves exponential amplification through the mechanism of primer extension, strand displacement, and ramification. Our results show that RAM can detect as few as 10 C. trachomatis elementary bodies in less than 2 h, comparable to results with real-time PCR. Thirty clinical specimens collected in PreservCyt solution were tested by LCx, real-time PCR, and RAM. Among 30 specimens, 15 were positive by PCR and LCx and 14 were positive by RAM. One specimen missed by RAM had an inadequate amount of residual cellular material. Our results show that nucleic acid amplification methods can serve to detect C. trachomatis and presumably other sexually transmitted agents in cytological fluid and that the RAM assay can be an alternative to PCR and LCx because of its simplicity and isothermal amplification.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1122, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10021. Phone: (212) 659-8173. Fax: (212) 427-2082. E-mail: David.Zhang{at}Mountsinai.org.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2002, p. 128-132, Vol. 40, No. 1
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.1.128-132.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Sevestre, H., Mention, J., Lefebvre, J.-F., Eb, F., Hamdad, F. (2009). Assessment of Chlamydia trachomatis infection by Cobas Amplicor PCR and in-house LightCycler assays using PreservCyt and 2-SP media in voluntary legal abortions. J Med Microbiol 58: 59-64 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Li, F., Zhao, C., Zhang, W., Cui, S., Meng, J., Wu, J., Zhang, D. Y. (2005). Use of Ramification Amplification Assay for Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Other E. coli Shiga Toxin-Producing Strains. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 6086-6090 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vinayagamoorthy, T., Mulatz, K., Hodkinson, R. (2003). Nucleotide Sequence-Based Multitarget Identification. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 3284-3292 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Koumans, E. H., Black, C. M., Markowitz, L. E., Unger, ElizabethR., Pierce, A., Sawyer, M. K., Papp, J. R. (2003). Comparison of Methods for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Using Commercially Available Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests and a Liquid Pap Smear Medium. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 1507-1511 [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»