Comparison of Polymerase Chain Reaction with Wet Mount and Culture Methods for the Diagnosis of Trichomoniasis

Abstract

Wet mount, culture and staining methods are generally used in the diagnosis of trichomoniasis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods with different primer pairs have been tested and used for research in recent years. In this study, T. vaginalis was tested for in the vaginal samples of 102 patients referred to obstetrics and gynecology polyclinic of Aydın Obstetrics and Children Hospital for various reasons, with direct microscopy, culture and PCR with primers targeting Tv-E650. In addition, PCR was applied to 20 T. vaginalis strains that were isolated from patients who were previously diagnosed with vaginitis. Of 102 samples, T. vaginalis was found to be positive in 2.94, 4.90 and 4.90% with wet mount, TYM medium and PCR respectively. The positivity rate reached 5.88% using the 3 methods together. All 20 strains isolated from patients with vaginitis were reported as positive by the PCR method. The wet mount had 60% sensitivity and 100% specificity, while PCR showed 80% sensitivity and 97.95% specificity when compared with the culture method, which is accepted as the "gold standard". The PCR method was performed for the first time as a diagnostic assay for trichomoniasis in this study and it is concluded that it can be used routinely for its diagnosis.