Prospective comparison of eubacterial PCR and measurement of procalcitonin levels with blood culture for diagnosing septicemia in intensive care unit patients.

Rapid identification of infection has a major impact on the clinical course, management, and outcome of critically ill intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We compared the results of PCR and procalcitonin with blood culture for ICU patients suspected of having septicemia. Ninety patients (60 patients meeting the criteria for sepsis and 30 patients not meeting the criteria for sepsis) were evaluated.

An improved method of elimination of DNA from PCR reagents.

Objective: The presence of exogenous DNA in commercially available polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reagent preparations is a serious problem when amplifying conserved regions of bacteria. The preferred and currently in-use method of decontamination using 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and UVA requires re-standardization of decontamination with increasing concentrations of 8-MOP and UVA irradiation timings, if the DNA load of reagents is high due to lot-to-lot differences. The objective of this study was to develop a decontamination method, which would (i) work at the minimum reported concentration of 8-MOP and UVA irridation timings; and (ii) take care of inter-batch DNA-load variability of reagents.

Comparing serology, antigenemia assay and polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection in renal transplant patients.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality following renal transplantation. Currently serology is the only method widely available in our country. Newer methods like early CMV pp65 antigenemia assay and CMV DNA amplification can diagnose CMV disease in its very early period.