Authors: Somchai Pinlaor Piroon Mootsikapun Porntip Pinlaor Anakapong Phunmanee Vichit Pipitgool Paiboon Sithithaworn Worawan Chumpia Jiraporn Sithithaworn
Publish Date: 2004/09/01
Volume: 94, Issue: 3, Pages: 213-218
Abstract
The polymerase chain reaction PCR technique was compared with WrightGiemsa WG Gomori methenamine silver GMS stains and an immunofluorescence assay IFA for detection of Pneumocystis carinii in immunocompromised patients Specimens of 21 bronchoalveolar lavages BAL and 139 sputum samples were obtained from 157 patients 38 with AIDS and 119 with HIV from four hospitals in Khon Kaen Thailand A true positive required at least two positives by techniques considered gold standard tests Eleven 5238 BAL and 13 935 sputum specimens were positive PCR produced the highest sensitivity and negative predictive values for the BAL 100 for each vs sputum samples at 8462 and 9841 percent respectively The specificity of PCR was 90 and 9841 for BAL and sputum samples respectively We suggest PCR is an important tool for the epidemiological study of P carinii in highrisk individualsThis work was supported by the Ministry of University Affairs Thailand We thank all the nurses and physicians for assisting in the gathering of specimens Dr Nongluk Tesana a physician at the Tuberculosis Center Khon Kaen Thailand for prepping the patients and Mr Bryan Roderick Hamman for assistance with the Englishlanguage presentation We are also very grateful to Professor James A Will for improving the scientific Englishlanguage presentation
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