Autor/a:
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Gomes, Cláudia; Martínez-Puchol, Sandra; Pons, Maria J.; Bazan, Jorge; Tinco-Valdez, Carmen; Valle Mendoza, Juana del; Ruiz, Joaquim
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Abstract:
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BACKGROUND: The lack of an effective diagnostic tool for
Carrion's disease leads to misdiagnosis, wrong treatments and
perpetuation of asymptomatic carriers living in endemic areas.
Conventional PCR approaches have been reported as a diagnostic
technique. However, the detection limit of these techniques is
not clear as well as if its usefulness in low bacteriemia cases.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the detection limit of 3
PCR approaches. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We determined
the detection limit of 3 different PCR approaches:
Bartonella-specific 16S rRNA, fla and its genes. We also
evaluated the viability of dry blood spots to be used as a
sample transport system. Our results show that 16S rRNA PCR is
the approach with a lowest detection limit, 5 CFU/muL, and thus,
the best diagnostic PCR tool studied. Dry blood spots diminish
the sensitivity of the assay. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: From the
tested PCRs, the 16S rRNA PCR-approach is the best to be used in
the direct blood detection of acute cases of Carrion's disease.
However its use in samples from dry blood spots results in
easier management of transport samples in rural areas, a slight
decrease in the sensitivity was observed. The usefulness to
detect by PCR the presence of low-bacteriemic or asymptomatic
carriers is doubtful, showing the need to search for new more
sensible techniques. |