Use of the Roche LightCycler Strep B Assay for Detection of Group B Streptococcus from Vaginal and Rectal Swabs

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol. 43; no. 8; pp. 4046 - 4051
• Main Authors: Uhl, James R, Vetter, Emily A, Boldt, Kristi L, Johnston, Bruce W, Ramin, Kirk D, Adams, Marla J, Ferrieri, Patricia, Reischl, Udo, Cockerill, Franklin R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.08.2005; American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Subjects: Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier State - diagnosis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Pregnancy; Rectum - microbiology; Sensitivity and Specificity; Streptococcus agalactiae - isolation & purification; Time Factors; Vagina - microbiology; Streptococcaceae; Microbiology; Streptococcus B; Samplings; Vagina; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Detection
• ISSN: 0095-1137; 1098-660X
• DOI: 10.1128/JCM.43.8.4046-4051.2005

Theresults for a real-time PCR assay, using the LightCycler Strep Banalyte-specific reagents (Roche Diagnostics Corporation, Indianapolis,Ind.), were compared to a direct plate method combined with a brothenrichment culture method for detection of group B streptococcuscolonization in pregnant women. Two separate evaluationswere conducted using two different automated nucleic extractioninstruments, the MagNA Pure LC instrument (Roche DiagnosticsCorporation) and the lower-capacity MagNA Pure Compact instrument(Roche Diagnostics Corporation). The sensitivities, specificities, andpositive and negative predictive values for the different evaluationmethods were as follow: for the LightCycler Strep B assay with MagNAPure LC, 100, 97, 90, and 100%, respectively; for the LightCycler StrepB assay with MagNA Pure Compact, 92.5, 99, 97, and 97.5%, respectively.The LightCycler Strep B assay combined with either MagNA Pure LC orMagNA Pure Compact extraction is a suitable method for detecting groupB streptococcus colonization in pregnant women. An advantage of theLightCycler assay over culture is the considerably reduced turnaroundtime forresults.