scholarly journals Duplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Achromobacter spp

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin P. Price ◽  
Valentina Soler Arango ◽  
Timothy J. Kidd ◽  
Tamieka A. Fraser ◽  
Thuy-Khanh Nguyen ◽  
...  

AbstractSeveral members of the Gram-negative environmental bacterial genus, Achromobacter, are associated with serious infections in immunocompromised individuals, of which Achromobacter xylosoxidans is the most common. Despite their pathogenic potential, comparatively little is understood about these intrinsically drug-resistant bacteria and their role in disease, leading to suboptimal diagnosis and management of Achromobacter infections. Here, we performed comparative genomics of 158 Achromobacter spp. genomes to robustly identify species boundaries, to reassign several incorrectly speciated taxa, and to identify genetic sequences specific for the Achromobacter genus and for A. xylosoxidans. Next, we developed a Black Hole Quencher probe-based duplex real-time PCR assay, Ac-Ax, for the rapid and simultaneous detection of Achromobacter spp. and A. xylosoxidans from both purified colonies and polymicrobial clinical specimens. Ac-Ax was tested on 119 isolates identified as Achromobacter spp. using phenotypic or genotypic methods. In comparison to these routine diagnostic methods, the duplex assay showed superior identification of Achromobacter spp. and A. xylosoxidans, with five Achromobacter isolates failing to amplify with Ac-Ax confirmed to be different genera according to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Ac-Ax quantified both Achromobacter spp. and A. xylosoxidans down to ∼110 genome equivalents, and detected down to ∼12 and ∼1 genome equivalent/s, respectively. In silico analysis, and laboratory testing of 34 non-Achromobacter isolates and 38 adult CF sputa, confirmed duplex assay specificity and sensitivity. We demonstrate that the Ac-Ax duplex assay provides a robust, sensitive, and cost-effective method for the simultaneous detection of all Achromobacter spp. and A. xylosoxidans, and will facilitate the rapid and accurate diagnosis of this important group of pathogens.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin P. Price ◽  
Valentina Soler Arango ◽  
Timothy J. Kidd ◽  
Tamieka A. Fraser ◽  
Thuy-Khanh Nguyen ◽  
...  

Several members of the Gram-negative environmental bacterial genus Achromobacter are associated with serious infections, with Achromobacter xylosoxidans being the most common. Despite their pathogenic potential, little is understood about these intrinsically drug-resistant bacteria and their role in disease, leading to suboptimal diagnosis and management. Here, we performed comparative genomics for 158 Achromobacter spp. genomes to robustly identify species boundaries, reassign several incorrectly speciated taxa and identify genetic sequences specific for the genus Achromobacter and for A. xylosoxidans . Next, we developed a Black Hole Quencher probe-based duplex real-time PCR assay, Ac-Ax, for the rapid and simultaneous detection of Achromobacter spp. and A. xylosoxidans from both purified colonies and polymicrobial clinical specimens. Ac-Ax was tested on 119 isolates identified as Achromobacter spp. using phenotypic or genotypic methods. In comparison to these routine diagnostic methods, the duplex assay showed superior identification of Achromobacter spp. and A. xylosoxidans , with five Achromobacter isolates failing to amplify with Ac-Ax confirmed to be different genera according to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Ac-Ax quantified both Achromobacter spp. and A. xylosoxidans down to ~110 genome equivalents and detected down to ~12 and ~1 genome equivalent(s), respectively. Extensive in silico analysis, and laboratory testing of 34 non- Achromobacter isolates and 38 adult cystic fibrosis sputa, confirmed duplex assay specificity and sensitivity. We demonstrate that the Ac-Ax duplex assay provides a robust, sensitive and cost-effective method for the simultaneous detection of all Achromobacter spp. and A. xylosoxidans and will facilitate the rapid and accurate diagnosis of this important group of pathogens.


Plant Disease ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian A Rincon-Florez ◽  
Jane D Ray ◽  
Lilia Costa Carvalhais ◽  
Cecilia A O'Dwyer ◽  
Siti Subandiyah ◽  
...  

Blood disease in bananas caused by Ralstonia syzygii subsp. celebesensis (Rsce) is a bacterial wilt disease that causes major yield losses of banana in Indonesia and peninsular Malaysia. The disease has significantly increased its geographic distribution in the last decade. Diagnostic methods are an important component of disease management in vegetatively propagated crops such as banana to constrain incursions of plant pathogens. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: i) to design and rigorously validate a novel banana Blood disease (BBD) real-time PCR assay with a high level of specificity and sensitivity of detection. ii) to validate published PCR based diagnostic methods targeting either the intergenic region in the megaplasmid (“121 assay” with primer set 121) or the phage tail protein coding sequence in the bacterial chromosome (“Kubota assay” and “BDB2400 assay” with primer set BDB2400). Assay validation included 339 samples (174 Blood disease bacterium, 51 bacteria associated with banana plants, 51 members of the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex and 63 samples from symptomatic and healthy plant material). Validation parameters were analytical specificity (inclusivity and exclusivity), selectivity, limit of detection, accuracy, and ruggedness. The “121 assay” and our newly developed “BBD real-time PCR assay” detected all Rsce strains with no cross specificity during validation. Two different PCR assays using the primer set BDB2400 lacked specificity and selectivity. This study reveals that our novel “BBD real-time PCR assay” and the conventional PCR “121 assay” are reliable methods for Blood disease diagnostics as they comply with all tested validation parameters.


2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 7430-7434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor G. Phister ◽  
David A. Mills

ABSTRACT Traditional methods to detect the spoilage yeast Dekkera bruxellensis from wine involve lengthy enrichments. To overcome this difficulty, we developed a quantitative real-time PCR method to directly detect and enumerate D. bruxellensis in wine. Specific PCR primers to D. bruxellensis were designed to the 26S rRNA gene, and nontarget yeast and bacteria common to the winery environment were not amplified. The assay was linear over a range of cell concentrations (6 log units) and could detect as little as 1 cell per ml in wine. The addition of large amounts of nontarget yeasts did not impact the efficiency of the assay. This method will be helpful to identify possible routes of D. bruxellensis infection in winery environments. Moreover, the time involved in performing the assay (3 h) should enable winemakers to more quickly make wine processing decisions in order to reduce the threat of spoilage by D. bruxellensis.


2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 556-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stein Christian Mohn ◽  
Arve Ulvik ◽  
Roland Jureen ◽  
Rob J. L. Willems ◽  
Janetta Top ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Rapid and accurate identification of carriers of resistant microorganisms is an important aspect of efficient infection control in hospitals. Traditional identification methods of antibiotic-resistant bacteria usually take at least 3 to 4 days after sampling. A duplex real-time PCR assay was developed for rapid detection of ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (ARE). Primers and probes that are used in this assay specifically detected the d-Ala-d-Ala ligase gene of E. faecium and the modified penicillin-binding protein 5 gene (pbp5) carrying the Glu-to-Val substitution at position 629 (Val-629) in a set of 129 tested E. faecium strains with known pbp5 sequence. Presence of the Val-629 in the strain set from 11 different countries was highly correlated with ampicillin resistance. In a screening of hospitalized patients, the real-time PCR assay yielded a sensitivity and a specificity for the detection of ARE colonization of 95% and 100%, respectively. The results were obtained 4 h after samples were harvested from overnight broth of rectal swab samples, identifying both species and the resistance marker mutation in pbp5. This novel assay reliably identifies ARE 2 to 3 days more quickly than traditional culture methods, thereby increasing laboratory throughput, making it useful for rectal screening of ARE. The assay demonstrates the advantages of real-time PCR for detection of nosocomial pathogens.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nawal El Houmami ◽  
Guillaume André Durand ◽  
Janek Bzdrenga ◽  
Anne Darmon ◽  
Philippe Minodier ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTKingella kingaeis a significant pediatric pathogen responsible for bone and joint infections, occult bacteremia, and endocarditis in early childhood. Past efforts to detect this bacterium using culture and broad-range 16S rRNA gene PCR assays from clinical specimens have proven unsatisfactory; therefore, by the late 2000s, these were gradually phased out to explore the benefits of specific real-time PCR tests targeting thegroELgene and the RTX locus ofK. kingae. However, recent studies showed that real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assays targeting theKingellasp. RTX locus that are currently available for the diagnosis ofK. kingaeinfection lack specificity because they could not distinguish betweenK. kingaeand the recently describedKingella negevensisspecies. Furthermore,in silicoanalysis of thegroELgene from a large collection of 45K. kingaestrains showed that primers and probes fromK. kingaegroEL-based RT-PCR assays display a few mismatches withK. kingae groELvariations that may result in decreased detection sensitivity, especially in paucibacillary clinical specimens. In order to provide an alternative togroEL- and RTX-targeting RT-PCR assays that may suffer from suboptimal specificity and sensitivity, aK. kingae-specific RT-PCR assay targeting the malate dehydrogenase (mdh) gene was developed for predicting no mismatch between primers and probe and 18 variants of theK. kingae mdhgene from 20 distinct sequence types ofK. kingae. This novelK. kingae-specific RT-PCR assay demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity and was successfully used to diagnoseK. kingaeinfections and carriage in 104 clinical specimens from children between 7 months and 7 years old.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiyu Zhang ◽  
Ming Yao ◽  
Zhihui Tang ◽  
Daning Xu ◽  
Yan Luo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pathogens including duck-origin avian influenza virus (AIV), duck-origin Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) posed great harm to ducks and caused great economic losses to the duck industry. In this study, we aim to develop a triplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect these three viruses as early as possible in the suspicious duck flocks. Results The detection limit of the triplex real-time PCR for AIV, NDV, and DTMUV was 1 × 101 copies/μL, which was at least 10 times higher than the conventional PCR. In addition, the triplex assay was highly specific, and won’t cross-react with other duck pathogens. Besides, the intra-day relative standard deviation and inter-day relative standard deviation were lower than 4.44% for these viruses at three different concentrations. Finally, a total of 120 clinical samples were evaluated by the triplex real-time PCR, the conventional PCR and virus isolation, and the positive rates for these three methods were 20.83, 21.67, 19.17%, respectively. Taking virus isolation as the gold standard, the diagnostic specificity and positive predictive value of the three viruses were all above 85%, while the diagnostic sensitivity and negative predictive value of the three viruses were all 100%. Conclusion The developed triplex real-time PCR is fast, specific and sensitive, and is feasible and effective for the simultaneous detection of AIV, NDV, and DTMUV in ducks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. e01986-20
Author(s):  
Ibne Karim M. Ali ◽  
Shantanu Roy

ABSTRACTThere are over 40 species within the genus Entamoeba, eight of which infect humans. Of these, four species (Entamoeba histolytica, E. dispar, E. moshkovskii, and E. bangladeshi) are morphologically indistinguishable from each other, and yet differentiation is important for appropriate treatment decisions. Here, we developed a hydrolysis probe-based tetraplex real-time PCR assay that can simultaneously detect and differentiate these four species in clinical samples. In this assay, multicopy small-subunit (SSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences were used as targets. We determined that the tetraplex real-time PCR can detect amebic DNA corresponding to as little as a 0.1 trophozoite equivalent of any of these species. We also determined that this assay can detect E. histolytica DNA in the presence of 10-fold more DNA from another Entamoeba species in mixed-infection scenarios. With a panel of more than 100 well-characterized clinical samples diagnosed and confirmed using a previously published duplex real-time PCR (capable of detecting E. histolytica and E. dispar), our tetraplex real-time PCR assay demonstrated levels of sensitivity and specificity comparable with those demonstrated by the duplex real-time PCR assay. The advantage of our assay over the duplex assay is that it can specifically detect two additional Entamoeba species and can be used in conventional PCR format. This newly developed assay will allow further characterization of the epidemiology and pathogenicity of the four morphologically identical Entamoeba species, especially in low-resource settings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 789-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Fortún ◽  
M J Buitrago ◽  
F Gioia ◽  
E Gómez-Gª de la Pedrosa ◽  
M E Alvarez ◽  
...  

Abstract Multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (MRT-PCR) using blood can improve the diagnosis of intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC). We prospectively studied 39 patients with suspected IAC in the absence of previous antifungal therapy. Blood cultures, MRT-PCR, and β-D-glucan (BDG) in serum were performed in all patients. IAC was defined according to the 2013 European Consensus criteria. For MRT-PCR, the probes targeted the ITS1 or ITS2 regions of ribosomal DNA. Candidaemia was confirmed only in four patients (10%), and IAC criteria were present in 17 patients (43.6%). The sensitivity of MRT-PCR was 25% but increased to 63.6% (P = .06) in plasma obtained prior to volume overload and transfusion; specificity was above 85% in all cases. BDG performance was improved using a cutoff > 260 pg/ml, and improvement was not observed in samples obtained before transfusion. In this cohort of high risk of IAC and low rate of bloodstream infection, the performance of non-culture-based methods (MRT-PCR or BDG) was moderate but may be a complementary tool given the limitations of diagnostic methods available in clinical practice. Volume overload requirements, in combination with other factors, decrease the accuracy of MRT-PCR in patients with IAC.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 885-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moezi Parichehr ◽  
Kargar Mohammad ◽  
Doosti Abbas ◽  
Khoshneviszadeh Mehdi

Aim: The aim of this study is to formulate a new single nonselective pre-enrichment medium (ELSS) that can support the concurrent growth of four major foodborne pathogens containing E. coli O157: H7, L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and S. enterica serovar Entertidis to develop a multiplex TaqMan Real-time PCR (mRT-PCR). Methods: The mRT-PCR with a new pre-enrichment was carried out for simultaneous detection and quantification of these foodborne bacteria. Results: By using mRT-PCR after 16 h pre-enrichment in ELSS, the detection limit of each pathogen was 1 CFU/25 ml contaminated milk, as well as inclusivity and exclusivity reached 100%. Conclusion: The mRT-PCR assay with pre-enrichment step is a fast and reliable technique for detecting single or multiple pathogens in food products.


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