scholarly journals Quantitative Detection of Clostridium perfringens in the Broiler Fowl Gastrointestinal Tract by Real-Time PCR

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 3911-3916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark G. Wise ◽  
Gregory R. Siragusa
Keyword(s):  
Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Necrotic Enteritis ◽  
Analytical Sensitivity ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Pcr Inhibitor

ABSTRACT Strains of Clostridium perfringens are a frequent cause of food-borne disease and gas gangrene and are also associated with necrotic enteritis in chickens. To detect and quantify the levels of C. perfringens in the chicken gastrointestinal tract, a quantitative real-time PCR assay utilizing a fluorogenic, hydrolysis-type probe was developed and utilized to assay material retrieved from the broiler chicken cecum and ileum. Primers and probe were selected following an alignment of 16S rDNA sequences from members of cluster I of the genus Clostridium, and proved to be specific for C. perfringens. The assay could detect approximately 50 fg of C. perfringens genomic DNA and approximately 20 cells in pure culture. Measurements of the analytical sensitivity determined with spiked intestinal contents indicated that the consistent limit of detection with ileal samples was approximately 102 CFU/g of ileal material, but only about 104 CFU/g of cecal samples. The decreased sensitivity with the cecal samples was due to the presence of an unidentified chemical PCR inhibitor(s) in the cecal DNA purifications. The assay was utilized to rapidly detect and quantify C. perfringens levels in the gut tract of broiler chickens reared without supplementary growth-promoting antibiotics that manifested symptoms of necrotic enteritis. The results illustrated that quantitative real-time PCR correlates well with quantification via standard plate counts in samples taken from the ileal region of the gastrointestinal tract.

scholarly journals Validation of a Novel Diagnostic Approach Combining the VersaTREK™ System for Recovery and Real-Time PCR for the Identification of Mycobacterium chimaera in Water Samples

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1031
Author(s):  
Roberto Zoccola ◽  
Alessia Di Blasio ◽  
Tiziana Bossotto ◽  
Angela Pontei ◽  
Maria Angelillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Microbial Control ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Sample Volume ◽  
Analytical Sensitivity ◽  
Initial Water

Mycobacterium chimaera is an emerging pathogen associated with endocarditis and vasculitis following cardiac surgery. Although it can take up to 6–8 weeks to culture on selective solid media, culture-based detection remains the gold standard for diagnosis, so more rapid methods are urgently needed. For the present study, we processed environmental M. chimaera infected simulates at volumes defined in international guidelines. Each preparation underwent real-time PCR; inoculates were placed in a VersaTREK™ automated microbial detection system and onto selective Middlebrook 7H11 agar plates. The validation tests showed that real-time PCR detected DNA up to a concentration of 10 ng/µL. A comparison of the isolation tests showed that the PCR method detected DNA in a dilution of ×102 CFU/mL in the bacterial suspensions, whereas the limit of detection in the VersaTREK™ was <10 CFU/mL. Within less than 3 days, the VersaTREK™ detected an initial bacterial load of 100 CFU. The detection limit did not seem to be influenced by NaOH decontamination or the initial water sample volume; analytical sensitivity was 1.5 × 102 CFU/mL; positivity was determined in under 15 days. VersaTREK™ can expedite mycobacterial growth in a culture. When combined with PCR, it can increase the overall recovery of mycobacteria in environmental samples, making it potentially applicable for microbial control in the hospital setting and also in environments with low levels of contamination by viable mycobacteria.

Quantitative Detection of Campylobacter jejuni on Fresh Chicken Carcasses by Real-Time PCR

2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 1373-1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNA-CLARA RÖNNER ◽  
HANS LINDMARK
Keyword(s):  
Detection Limit ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Dna Extraction ◽  
Campylobacter Jejuni ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Close Correlation ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Direct Plating ◽  
Pcr Method

Campylobacter jejuni infection is a significant cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide. Consumption and handling of poultry products is believed to be the primary risk factor for campylobacteriosis. Risk assessments require quantitative data, and C. jejuni is enumerated usually by direct plating, which sometimes allows growth of non-Campylobacter bacteria. The objective of the present study was to develop a quantitative real-time PCR method (q-PCR) for enumerating C. jejuni in chicken rinse without a culturing step. The procedure to obtain the template for the PCR assay involved (i) filtration of 10 ml of chicken rinse, (ii) centrifugation of the sample, and (iii) total DNA extraction from the pellet obtained using a commercial DNA extraction kit. The detection limit of the method was comparable to that for plating 100 μl of chicken rinse on modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar, and the detection limit could be further improved 10-fold by concentrating the DNA eluate by ethanol precipitation. A close correlation for spiked chicken rinse was obtained for the results of the quantitative real-time PCR method and direct plating (r = 0.99). The coefficient of correlation for the methods was 0.87 when samples from chicken carcasses on the slaughter line were analyzed, whereas a lower correlation (r = 0.76) was obtained when samples from retail carcasses were analyzed. Greater variation in the proportion of dead and/or viable but not culturable Campylobacter types in the retail samples may explain the decreased correlation between the methods. Overall, the new method is simple and fast and the results obtained are closely correlated with those for direct plating for samples containing a low proportion of dead Campylobacter cells.

scholarly journals Development of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assays for Detection and Quantification of Surrogate Biological Warfare Agents in Building Debris and Leachate

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (20) ◽  
pp. 6557-6565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal E. Saikaly ◽  
Morton A. Barlaz ◽  
Francis L. de los Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Genomic Dna ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Fate And Transport ◽  
Biological Warfare ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Pcr Assays ◽  
Detection And Quantification

ABSTRACT Evaluation of the fate and transport of biological warfare (BW) agents in landfills requires the development of specific and sensitive detection assays. The objective of the current study was to develop and validate SYBR green quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) assays for the specific detection and quantification of surrogate BW agents in synthetic building debris (SBD) and leachate. Bacillus atrophaeus (vegetative cells and spores) and Serratia marcescens were used as surrogates for Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) and Yersinia pestis (plague), respectively. The targets for SYBR green Q-PCR assays were the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) region and recA gene for B. atrophaeus and the gyrB, wzm, and recA genes for S. marcescens. All assays showed high specificity when tested against 5 ng of closely related Bacillus and Serratia nontarget DNA from 21 organisms. Several spore lysis methods that include a combination of one or more of freeze-thaw cycles, chemical lysis, hot detergent treatment, bead beat homogenization, and sonication were evaluated. All methods tested showed similar threshold cycle values. The limit of detection of the developed Q-PCR assays was determined using DNA extracted from a pure bacterial culture and DNA extracted from sterile water, leachate, and SBD samples spiked with increasing quantities of surrogates. The limit of detection for B. atrophaeus genomic DNA using the ITS and B. atrophaeus recA Q-PCR assays was 7.5 fg per PCR. The limits of detection of S. marcescens genomic DNA using the gyrB, wzm, and S. marcescens recA Q-PCR assays were 7.5 fg, 75 fg, and 7.5 fg per PCR, respectively. Quantification of B. atrophaeus vegetative cells and spores was linear (R 2 > 0.98) over a 7-log-unit dynamic range down to 101 B. atrophaeus cells or spores. Quantification of S. marcescens (R 2 > 0.98) was linear over a 6-log-unit dynamic range down to 102 S. marcescens cells. The developed Q-PCR assays are highly specific and sensitive and can be used for monitoring the fate and transport of the BW surrogates B. atrophaeus and S. marcescens in building debris and leachate.

scholarly journals Quantitative Detection of Legionella pneumophila in Water Samples by Immunomagnetic Purification and Real-Time PCR Amplification of the dotA Gene

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 3433-3441 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Yáñez ◽  
C. Carrasco-Serrano ◽  
V. M. Barberá ◽  
V. Catalán
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Immunomagnetic Separation ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Specific Sequence

ABSTRACT A new real-time PCR assay was developed and validated in combination with an immunomagnetic separation system for the quantitative determination of Legionella pneumophila in water samples. Primers that amplify simultaneously an 80-bp fragment of the dotA gene from L. pneumophila and a recombinant fragment including a specific sequence of the gyrB gene from Aeromonas hydrophila, added as an internal positive control, were used. The specificity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, repetitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy of the method were calculated, and the values obtained confirmed the applicability of the method for the quantitative detection of L. pneumophila. Moreover, the efficiency of immunomagnetic separation in the recovery of L. pneumophila from different kinds of water was evaluated. The recovery rates decreased as the water contamination increased (ranging from 59.9% for distilled water to 36% for cooling tower water), and the reproducibility also decreased in parallel to water complexity. The feasibility of the method was evaluated by cell culture and real-time PCR analysis of 60 samples in parallel. All the samples found to be positive by cell culture were also positive by real-time PCR, while only eight samples were found to be positive only by PCR. Finally, the correlation of both methods showed that the number of cells calculated by PCR was 20-fold higher than the culture values. In conclusion, the real-time PCR method combined with immunomagnetic separation provides a sensitive, specific, and accurate method for the rapid quantification of L. pneumophila in water samples. However, the recovery efficiency of immunomagnetic separation should be considered in complex samples.

Multiplex Quantitative Real-Time PCR for the Detection of t(14;18) Translocations with Breakpoints within 5 Different Regions of the BCL-2 Gene: MBR, 3′MBR, mcr, 5′mcr, icr.

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 2826-2826
Author(s):  
Frank Schüler ◽  
Sandra C. Dölken ◽  
Carsten Hirt ◽  
Gottfried Dolken
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Mononuclear Cells ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Degraded Dna ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Target Sequence ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Consensus Primer ◽  
Target Sequences

Abstract Follicular lymphomas (FL) are associated with the chromosomal translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21). Most breakpoints of chromosome 18 (60%) occur in the major breakpoint region (MBR) of the BCL-2 gene. Further breakpoints have been detected in the minor cluster region (mcr), less frequent breakpoints are found in regions called 3′-MBR, 5′-mcr and icr. On chromosome 14 most breakpoints are located within one of the six JH-genes. Therefore, BCL-2 translocations with breakpoints within the MBR and mcr are generally detected by PCR using combinations of different BCL-2 primers with one JH-consensus primer. We have developed a multiplex quantitative real-time PCR strategy that that can be used to detect t(14;18) translocations with breakpoints located within all regions mentioned above. To minimize the costs for expensive probes we used the JH-consensus sequence as a target for one “consensus probe” (fluorescent labelled minor groove binder probe) for all assays in combination with 6 different JH intron primers. To reduce the size of amplified PCR fragments 12 BCL-2 primers were chosen in combination with 6 JH intron primers for the detection of all 5 breakpoint regions. It is very important to choose short DNA target sequences for amplification: (a) to establish a real-time PCR with a high amplification efficacy; (b) to be able to amplify target sequences also from partially degraded DNA isolated from formaldehyde-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections; (c) to achieve a high sensitivity to detect 1–3 copies per assay. Peripheral bood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) and formalin fixed, paraffin embedded lymph node tissue obtained from 139 FL patients at the time of diagnosis (LN and PBMNC, n = 54; LN only, n = 3; PBMNC only, n = 82) were tested by multiplex quantitative real-time PCR. 80 breakpoints were identified within the MBR (61%) region. For comparison, 78/80 breakpoints were also detected by our standard real-time PCR assay with one BCL-2-MBR- primer and one JH consensus primer in combination with a fluorescent probe located within the BCL-2 sequence [Doelken et al., BioTechniques, 1998]. Two additional translocations with breakpoints located 5′ of the target sequence of the standard PCR were found by using two additional MBR primers. In addition, five mcr breakpoints (5%), one breakpoint in the 3′MBR region and one breakpoint in the icr region were found. Based on these results the prevalence of breakpoints in various regions of the BCL-2 gene in FL patients is: MBR = 61% (80/139); mcr = 5% (5/139); 3′MBR = 1% (1/139); icr = 1% (1/139); 5′mcr = 0%). Furthermore, based on quantitative PCR results the t(14;18) translocations detected in this study were undoubtedly lymphoma associated and did not belong to t(14;18)-positive non-lymphoma B cell clones found in healthy persons. By applying this multiplex quantitative real-time PCR strategy t(14;18) translocations with breakpoints in five different breakpoint clusters can be detected in about 70% of patients with follicular lymphoma. The assays can be used for a fast and reliable quantitative detection of t(14;18) translocations on DNA isolated from fresh lymph nodes or pathological specimens as well as blood samples at the time of diagnosis. In almost all cases quantitative results will allow a distinction whether the translocation found is lymphoma associated or not, which will in turn allow a quantitative MRD analysis on follow-up samples during and after treatment.

scholarly journals Validation of a novel FRET real-time PCR assay for simultaneous quantitative detection and discrimination of human Plasmodium parasites

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252887
Author(s):  
Renate Schneider ◽  
Aline Lamien-Meda ◽  
Herbert Auer ◽  
Ursula Wiedermann-Schmidt ◽  
Peter L. Chiodini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Melting Curve ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Significant Rise ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Melting Curve Analysis ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms

Increasing numbers of travelers returning from endemic areas, migrants, and refugees have led to a significant rise in the number of imported malaria cases in non-endemic countries. Real- time PCR serves as an excellent diagnostic tool, especially in regions where experience in microscopy is limited. A novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based real-time PCR (FRET-qPCR) was developed and evaluated using 56 reference samples of the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK NEQAS) for molecular detection of malaria, including P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi. Species identification is based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the genome where the MalLC640 probe binds, lowering the melting temperature in the melting curve analysis. The novel FRET-qPCR achieved 100% (n = 56) correct results, compared to 96.43% performing nested PCR. The high sensitivity, with a calculated limit of detection of 199.97 parasites/mL blood for P. falciparum, is a significant advantage, especially if low-level parasitemia has to be ruled out. Even mixed infections of P. falciparum with P. vivax or P. ovale, respectively, were detected. In contrast to many other real-time PCR protocols, this novel FRET-qPCR allows the quantitative and species-specific detection of Plasmodium spp. in one single run. Solely, P. knowlesi was detected but could not be differentiated from P. vivax. The turnaround time of this novel FRET-qPCR including DNA extraction is less than two hours, qualifying it for routine clinical applications, including treatment monitoring.

scholarly journals Quantitative Detection of Clostridium tyrobutyricum in Milk by Real-Time PCR

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 3747-3751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena López-Enríquez ◽  
David Rodríguez-Lázaro ◽  
Marta Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Acid Extraction ◽  
Clostridium Tyrobutyricum ◽  
Analytical Sensitivity ◽  
Whole Milk ◽  
Detergent Treatment ◽  
Ultrahigh Temperature

ABSTRACT We developed a real-time PCR assay for the quantitative detection of Clostridium tyrobutyricum, which has been identified as the major causal agent of late blowing in cheese. The assay was 100% specific, with an analytical sensitivity of 1 genome equivalent in 40% of the reactions. The quantification was linear (R 2 > 0.9995) over a 5-log dynamic range, down to 10 genome equivalents, with a PCR efficiency of >0.946. With optimized detergent treatment and enzymatic pretreatment of the sample before centrifugation and nucleic acid extraction, the assay counted down to 300 C. tyrobutyricum spores, with a relative accuracy of 82.98 to 107.68, and detected as few as 25 spores in 25 ml of artificially contaminated raw or ultrahigh-temperature-treated whole milk.

scholarly journals Use of Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Direct Detection of Serratia marcescens in Marine and Other Aquatic Environments

2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 1679-1683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Joyner ◽  
David Wanless ◽  
Christopher D. Sinigalliano ◽  
Erin K. Lipp
Keyword(s):  
Serratia Marcescens ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Sponge Tissue ◽  
Acropora Palmata ◽  
Quantitative Real Time Pcr ◽  
Coral Mucus ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTSerratia marcescensis the etiological agent of acroporid serratiosis, a distinct form of white pox disease in the threatened coralAcropora palmata. The pathogen is commonly found in untreated human waste in the Florida Keys, which may contaminate both nearshore and offshore waters. Currently there is no direct method for detection of this bacterium in the aquatic or reef environment, and culture-based techniques may underestimate its abundance in marine waters. A quantitative real-time PCR assay was developed to detectS. marcescensdirectly from environmental samples, including marine water, coral mucus, sponge tissue, and wastewater. The assay targeted theluxSgene and was able to distinguishS. marcescensfrom otherSerratiaspecies with a reliable quantitative limit of detection of 10 cell equivalents (CE) per reaction. The method could routinely discern the presence ofS. marcescensfor as few as 3 CE per reaction, but it could not be reliably quantified at this level. The assay detected environmentalS. marcescensin complex sewage influent samples at up to 761 CE ml−1and in septic system-impacted residential canals in the Florida Keys at up to 4.1 CE ml−1. This detection assay provided rapid quantitative abilities and good sensitivity and specificity, which should offer an important tool for monitoring this ubiquitous pathogen that can potentially impact both human health and coral health.

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