Development and Laboratory Evaluation of a Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for Detecting Viruses and Bacteria of Relevance for Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Community-acquired pneumonia may present with similar clinical symptoms, regardless of viral or bacterial cause. Diagnostic assays are needed to rapidly discriminate between causes, because this will guide decisions on appropriate treatment. Therefore, a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay with duplex reactions targeting eight bacteria and six viruses was developed. Technical performance was examined with linear plasmids. Upper and lower respiratory tract specimens were used to compare the qPCR assay with standard microbiological methods.

Source: Journal of Molecular Diagnostics - March 13, 2015 Category: Pathology Authors: Alicia Edin, Susanne Granholm, Satu Koskiniemi, Annika Allard, Anders Sjöstedt, Anders Johansson Tags: Regular Article Source Type: research