252. Development and Evaluation of a Novel MultiCode Real-Time PCR Assay for the Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid and Induced Sputum

摘要

Background Pneumocystis jirovecii is a medically important fungal pathogen responsible for opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts with high morbidity and mortality. Compared with standard microscopy based assays, home-brew nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) have emerged as sensitive tools for the diagnosis of P. jirovecii pneumonia, but their sensitivities vary depending upon selected genetic targets. Recent studies suggest that the mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) is a better NAAT target given its higher copy number and stable expression in the disease process. We aimed to develop and evaluate a mtSSU-targeted MultiCode real-time PCR assay that incorporates a sample processing control (SPC) and enables detection of P. jirovecii in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and induced sputum.