Abstract
Rapid diagnosis of respiratory tract infections is important not only from the standpoint of clinical diagnosis but also infection control. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the possibility of diagnosing with the immunochromatography for pathogens of respiratory tract. A prospective, populationbased study covering the total population less than 15 years of age in Tochigi, Japan, during the period of December 2010 to March 2013. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 200 children with respiratory tract infections. RTPCR analysis was used as the reference assay. The correlation of the results between obtained by the diagnostic reagents and RT-PCR assays was investigated. Pathogens were identified in a total of 64 (32.0%) out of 200 patients by RT-PCR as follows: respiratory syncytial (RS) virus, 29; M. pneumoniae, 17; metapneumovirus, 7; adenovirus, 5; influenza A virus, 3; and influenza B virus, 3. More than 100 copies/μl of Mycoplasma pneumoniae was obtained. Minimum detection sensitivity of the immuno-chromatography in the clinical material was the 4 x 101copies/micro-liter. The correlation of the results between obtained by the diagnostic reagent for measles and RT-PCR was the positive match rate of 45.5% and negative match rate is 100%. From 79.0 to 100% of RT-PCR positive samples more than 4 x 101copies/micro-liter was detected. The importance of M. pneumoniae and RS virus in the etiology of respiratory tract infections in was confirmed. Immuno-chromatography can be applied as a simple rapid diagnostic method from the beginning of the disease in general clinical practice.
Highlights
Establishment of rapid diagnosis of respiratory viral and mycoplasmal infections in children is important from the standpoint of clinical diagnosis and infection control [1,2]
We examined the correlation between the diagnostic reagent and reverse Transcription (RT)-PCR [17,18], and the clinical symptoms in non-measles patients
In 46 clinical specimens for measles 5 were positive by the diagnostic reagent and 11 were positive by RT-PCR assay
Summary
Establishment of rapid diagnosis of respiratory viral and mycoplasmal infections in children is important from the standpoint of clinical diagnosis and infection control [1,2]. Laboratory diagnosis by serum IgM antibody-detection, reverse Transcription (RT)-PCR assay, and viral isolation are established for the confirmation of the diagnosis of respiratory infections. Because of high sensitivity and specificity, these methods are the most reliable for laboratory diagnosis of viral and mycoplasmal infections [5,6]. They are effective for epidemiological investigation, they are not suitable for use in daily clinical practice [7]. Not from the importance of rapid diagnosis, the experimental laboratory diagnosis of respiratory infections has been reemphasized to establish the daily application in general clinics
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