Usefulness of the GenMark ePlex RPP assay for the detection of respiratory viruses compared to the FTD21 multiplex RT-PCR

Fiona Steiner; Stefan Schmutz; Rainer Gosert; Jon B Huder; Patrick M Redli; Riccarda Capaul; Hans H Hirsch; Jürg Böni; Andrea Zbinden

doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115424

Usefulness of the GenMark ePlex RPP assay for the detection of respiratory viruses compared to the FTD21 multiplex RT-PCR

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2021 Sep;101(1):115424. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115424. Epub 2021 May 11.

Authors

Fiona Steiner¹, Stefan Schmutz¹, Rainer Gosert², Jon B Huder¹, Patrick M Redli¹, Riccarda Capaul¹, Hans H Hirsch², Jürg Böni¹, Andrea Zbinden³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
² Transplantation & Clinical Virology, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Clinical Virology, Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
³ Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: andreaczbinden@gmail.com.

PMID: 34111651
DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115424

Abstract

Cartridge-based multiplex panels covering numerous pathogens offer an advantage of minimal hands-on-time and short time to result to commercial RT-PCR assays. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the ePlex respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) compared to the Fast Track Diagnostics Respiratory pathogens 21 multiplex RT-PCR assay (FTD21) using 400 clinical respiratory samples. Discrepant results were further analysed by a reference nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) and a composite reference approach was used for final interpretation. Discordant results were observed in 56 targets corresponding to 54 samples. Sensitivities and specificities were 85.5% and 99.9% for the ePlex RPP and 95.8% and 99.7% for the FTD21 system, respectively. Altogether, the ePlex RPP is a valuable tool for the rapid detection of a number of different respiratory viruses with the exception of the coronavirus family (low sensitivity ranging from 50-80%) and samples with a low pathogen load (Ct values >33).

Keywords: FTD21 multiplex RT-PCR; ePlex RPP; rapid diagnostics; respiratory viruses; syndromic testing.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Diagnostic Tests, Routine
Humans
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques*
Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction*
Respiratory Tract Infections / diagnosis*
Respiratory Tract Infections / virology
Sensitivity and Specificity
Time Factors
Viruses / classification
Viruses / genetics
Viruses / isolation & purification*