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

摘要

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.