Quantitative detection of Moraxella catarrhalis in nasopharyngeal secretions by real-time PCR.

ABSTRACT: The recognition of Moraxella catarrhalis as an important cause of respiratory tract infections has been protracted, mainly because it is a frequent commensal organism of the upper respiratory tract and the diagnostic sensitivity of blood or pleural fluid culture is low. Given that the amount of M. catarrhalis bacteria in the upper respiratory tract may change during infection, quantification of these bacteria in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPSs) by real-time PCR may offer a suitable diagnostic approach. Using primers and a fluorescent probe specific for the copB outer membrane protein gene, we detected DNA from serial dilutions of M. catarrhalis cells corresponding to 1 to 10(6) cells. Importantly, there was no difference in the amplification efficiency when the same DNA was mixed with DNA

SUBMITTER: Greiner O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC153888 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature