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Updated: Jul 11, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements in Multiplex Detection of Respiratory Viruses
Published on: November 10, 2023
Comparison of two multiplex PCR tests for common pathogen detection in hospitalized children with acute respiratory
Le Wang1, Suzhen Sun1, Dianping You1
1Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050031, China.
Introduction:
Multiplex PCR methods have significantly improved the diagnosis of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children. The ResP-CE System coupled with capillary electrophoresis is a highly specialized, automated, and expensive technology for detecting common pathogens in ARTIs. The XYRes-MCA System, a remarkably less expensive multiplex PCR instrument, employs hybridization for the detection of ARTI pathogens. Both methods detect 9 common microorganisms in ARTIs, i.e., RSV, FLUAV, FLUBV, ADV, PIV, HMPV, HBOV, HCOV, and MP. In this study, we aimed to compare the performance of these two methods in the detection of pathogens from sputum specimens collected from children with ARTIs.
Methodology:
Sputum specimens were collected from 237 hospitalized children with ARTIs. Nucleic acid was extracted on an automated workstation. The ResP-CE and XYres-MCA systems were applied to detect pathogens from the samples, and the test result agreement between the two methods was evaluated using Kappa statistics.
Results:
The ResP-CE and XYres-MCA identified pathogens, single or in combination, in 151 (63.7%) and 171 (72.1%) of 237 samples, respectively. Approximately 85% of positive samples identified by either method contained a single pathogen. Moderate to almost perfect concordance between the two methods was found in detecting the following 7 pathogens: RSV, FLUAV, FLUBV, PIV, HMPV, HBOV, and MP.
Conclusions:
These two methods are comparable in detecting common pathogens of ARTIs in children. As XYres-MCA analysis is more cost-effective, it could play an important role in diagnosing ARTIs in children in less economically developed regions.
Insights
The XYRes-MCA system offers a cost-effective alternative to the ResP-CE system for diagnosing pediatric acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs). Both multiplex PCR methods show comparable performance in detecting common ARTI pathogens.
Area of Science:
- Clinical microbiology
- Molecular diagnostics
- Pediatric infectious diseases
Background:
- Multiplex PCR significantly enhances the diagnosis of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children.
- The ResP-CE system is a specialized, automated, and expensive technology for ARTI pathogen detection.
- The XYRes-MCA system is a less expensive multiplex PCR instrument utilizing hybridization for ARTI pathogen detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the diagnostic performance of the ResP-CE and XYRes-MCA systems.
- To evaluate pathogen detection from sputum specimens in children with ARTIs.
Main Methods:
- Sputum specimens were collected from 237 hospitalized children with ARTIs.
- Nucleic acid extraction was performed on an automated workstation.
- Pathogen detection was conducted using both ResP-CE and XYRes-MCA systems, with results analyzed using Kappa statistics.
Main Results:
- The ResP-CE and XYRes-MCA systems identified pathogens in 63.7% and 72.1% of samples, respectively.
- Approximately 85% of positive samples detected a single pathogen.
- Moderate to almost perfect concordance was observed between the two methods for 7 common pathogens (RSV, FLUAV, FLUBV, PIV, HMPV, HBOV, MP).
Conclusions:
- Both ResP-CE and XYRes-MCA systems demonstrate comparable performance in detecting common ARTI pathogens in children.
- The XYRes-MCA system's cost-effectiveness makes it a valuable tool for ARTI diagnosis in resource-limited settings.
