Cost-of-illness analysis and regression modeling in cystic fibrosis: a retrospective prevalence-based study.

Background: Economic data pertaining to cystic fibrosis (CF), is limited in Europe generally, and completely lacking in Central and Eastern Europe. We performed an analysis of all direct costs associated with CF relative to key disease features and laboratory examinations.

Methods: A retrospective prevalence-based cost-of-illness (COI) study was performed in a representative cohort of 242 CF patients in the Czech Republic, which represents about 65 % of all Czech CF patients.

Novel diagnostic PCR assay for Burkholderia cenocepacia epidemic strain ST32 and its utility in monitoring infection in cystic fibrosis patients.

Background: A highly transmissible Burkholderia cenocepacia sequence type (ST) 32 strain caused a major outbreak at the Prague Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Centre in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Because a large number of CF patients were affected by ST32, a rapid and easy-to-use diagnostic tool for ST32 infection was urgently needed for the detection of new cases as well as for long-term surveillance. The present study sought to identify unique DNA sequences within the ST32 genome to develop an ST32 strain-specific PCR assay.

PCR detection of Burkholderia cepacia complex as one of key factors to handle a long-term outbreak.

Background: Once the outbreak with Burkholderia cenocepacia ST32 was identified in the Prague cystic fibrosis (CF) centre, molecular tools were implemented into diagnostic routine in order to complement infection control measures with as accurate as possible microbiological service. In addition, genotyping techniques were applied as part of an infection surveillance program to assign species and strain status in samples positive for Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). We sought to evaluate a usefulness of Bcc-specific PCR in infection control and to map evolution of the outbreak.

Direct culture-independent Strain typing of Burkholderia cepacia complex in sputum samples from patients with cystic fibrosis.

We examined if multilocus sequence typing (MLST), a method for genotyping and species identification of Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteria, could be applied directly to cystic fibrosis sputum. The redesigned nested-PCR MLST format was successfully used to accurately identify strains in 23 sputum samples, of which 8 were culture negative.