Specific detection of Aspergillus species in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage samples of immunocompromised patients by two-step PCR.

ABSTRACT: The increasing incidence of aspergillosis, a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients, emphasizes the need to improve the currently limited diagnostic tools. We developed a two-step PCR assay that specifically amplifies a region of the 18S rRNA gene that is highly conserved in Aspergillus species. A number of primers with the least homology to equivalent human or Candida gene sequences were screened for the pairs that gave the highest sensitivity and specificity. No cross-reaction with the wide range of fungal and bacterial pathogens so far tested was observed. This assay allows direct and rapid detection of down to 10 fg of Aspergillus DNA corresponding to 1 to 5 CFU per ml of blood. A total of 315 blood and bronchoalveolar lavage samples from 140 subjects, including 93 pa

SUBMITTER: Skladny H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC85831 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature