Development of multiplex real-time quantitative PCR for simultaneous detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma parvum

Objectives: Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum are common pathogens of sexually transmitted diseases. The majority of human ureaplasma isolates belong to the new species U. parvum. Clinically, C trachomatis and U. parvum usually double infect in the nongonococcal urethritis patients. A novel method for simultaneous detection of C. trachomatis and U. parvum was set up in the present work. Design and methods: Multiple real-time quantitative PCR was developed to allow for rapid, sensitive, specific and quantitative detection of C. trachomatis and U. parvum, simultaneously. To evaluate the applicability of the multiplex real-time quantitative PCR assay to clinical specimens, 64 samples of cervical swabs collected were studied. Results: Compared to the results obtained from single real-time quantitative PCR of C trachomatis and U. parvum, the specificity, sensitivity and quantitative detection results of multiple real-time quantitative PCR are approximately identical with those of the former. Conclusions: This assay will be of great value in the simultaneous and rapid diagnosis of C trachomatis and U. parvum in the future. (C) 2012 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.