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Quick diagnosis of human brain meningitis using omp85 gene amplicon as a genetic marker

Sandip K Dash1, Minakshi Sharma2, Shashi Khare3

  • 1CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi, 110007 India.

Indian Journal of Microbiology
|January 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Rapid PCR testing offers a quick and accurate diagnosis for bacterial meningitis. This method detects Neisseria meningitidis DNA in cerebrospinal fluid, improving patient outcomes for this serious infection.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Diagnostics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Current methods for diagnosing bacterial meningitis are often slow, costly, and lack definitive confirmation.
  • Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment of life-threatening meningitis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a rapid and specific diagnostic test for bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of a PCR-based assay targeting the Omp85 gene.

Main Methods:

  • Development of specific primers for the virulent Omp85 gene of Neisseria meningitidis.
  • Application of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for detecting bacterial genomic DNA (G-DNA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
  • Analysis of amplicon specificity to rule out cross-reactivity with other pathogens.

Main Results:

  • The PCR assay successfully detected as little as 1.0 ng of G-DNA in 80 minutes.
  • A specific 257 bp amplicon of the Omp85 gene confirmed Neisseria meningitidis infection.
  • No homology was observed between the Omp85 amplicon and DNA from other common CSF pathogens.

Conclusions:

  • A rapid PCR assay targeting the Omp85 gene provides a specific and efficient method for diagnosing Neisseria meningitidis meningitis.
  • This molecular diagnostic approach offers a significant improvement over traditional methods for bacterial meningitis detection.
  • The Omp85 gene serves as a reliable genetic marker for the rapid confirmation of bacterial meningitis.
Keywords:
Genetic markerMeningitisN. meningitidisOmp85 gene

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