Detection of Pneumocystis carinii DNA in blood by PCR is not of value for diagnosis of P. carinii pneumonia

E Tamburrini; P Mencarini; E Visconti; M Zolfo; A De Luca; A Siracusano; E Ortona; A E Wakefield

doi:10.1128/jcm.34.6.1586-1588.1996

Detection of Pneumocystis carinii DNA in blood by PCR is not of value for diagnosis of P. carinii pneumonia

J Clin Microbiol. 1996 Jun;34(6):1586-8. doi: 10.1128/jcm.34.6.1586-1588.1996.

Authors

E Tamburrini¹, P Mencarini, E Visconti, M Zolfo, A De Luca, A Siracusano, E Ortona, A E Wakefield

Affiliation

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

A nested PCR which amplified a portion of the mitochondrial large-subunit rRNA gene of Pneumocystis carinii was used to detect P. carinii DNA in blood from patients with P. carinii pneumonia. P. carinii DNA was not detected in serum and was detected at low levels of blood cells.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / diagnosis
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / microbiology
Base Sequence
DNA Primers / genetics
DNA, Fungal / blood*
DNA, Fungal / genetics*
False Negative Reactions
Humans
Leukocytes, Mononuclear / microbiology
Neutrophils / microbiology
Pneumocystis / genetics*
Pneumocystis / isolation & purification*
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / complications
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / diagnosis*
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / microbiology
Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*

Substances

DNA Primers
DNA, Fungal