Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction for rapid broad-spectrum detection of bloodstream infections.

ABSTRACT: The droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a novel molecular technique that allows rapid quantification of rare target DNA sequences. Aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of the ddPCR technique to detect pathogen DNA in whole blood and to assess the diagnostic accuracy of ddPCR to detect bloodstream infections (BSIs), benchmarked against blood cultures. Broad-range primers and probes were designed to detect bacterial 16S rRNA (and Gram stain for differentiation) and fungal 28S rRNA. To determine the detection limit of ddPCR, 10-fold serial dilutions of E. coli and C. albicans were spiked in both PBS and whole blood. The diagnostic accuracy of ddPCR was tested in historically collected frozen blood samples from adult patients suspected of a BSI and compared with bl

SUBMITTER: Wouters Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7111091 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature