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Identification of dermatophytes using multiplex polymerase chain reaction
Ji Young Kim1, Yong Beom Choe, Kyu Joong Ahn
1Department of Dermatology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Annals of Dermatology
|September 13, 2011
Summary
Multiplex PCR effectively identified dermatophytes using specific primers targeting ITS1-2, 18S rRNA, and 28S rRNA regions. This method accurately diagnosed fungal infections in 73 patients, primarily identifying T. rubrum.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Molecular Biology
- Clinical Microbiology
Background:
- Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enables simultaneous amplification of multiple DNA targets with multiple primers.
- Its application in clinical microbiology for simultaneous organism detection is expanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of multiplex PCR for identifying dermatophytes.
- To assess the diagnostic accuracy of a novel multiplex PCR assay for dermatophyte identification.
Main Methods:
- Developed and employed three specific primer sets targeting ITS1-2, 18S rRNA, and 28S rRNA regions.
- Performed multiplex PCR on 11 standard dermatophyte strains and clinical samples from 73 patients with fungal infections.
Main Results:
- Successfully identified all 11 standard strains by analyzing PCR-generated band patterns.
- Identified causative dermatophytes in 73 patients: T. rubrum (69 cases), T. menta (1 case), T. tonsurans (2 cases), and M. gypseum (1 case).
Conclusions:
- Multiplex PCR with three primer sets achieved successful identification of both standard and clinical dermatophyte strains.
- This method offers a reliable approach for the accurate identification of dermatophytes in clinical settings.
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