RAPID AND SENSITIVE METHOD FOR DETECTING HISTOPLASMA CAPSULATUM

摘要

Oligonucleotides are provided which are useful as primers to initiate the amplification of a segment of Histoplasma capsulatum DNA that is specific to H. capsulatum, using the polymerase chain reaction. A method of detecting the presence of H. capsulatum in a sample using a nested, or two-stage, PCR assay is also provided. The outer pair of primers, for use in the first stage of the assay, are fungal-specific oligonucleotides; the inner pair of primers, for use in the second stage, are oligonucleotides specific for H. capsulatum.