Simultaneous detection of at least two respiratory pathogens by multiplex polymerase chain reaction

摘要

Simultaneous diagnosis of at least two of the respiratory pathogens Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae in a single clinical sample in the same reaction tube, is new. The method comprises; (i) dissolving the sample; (ii) extraction of pathogen DNA; and (iii) amplification of target fragments of this DNA by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR); and (iv) detection of the amplicons. The primers used are derived from the following; (i) bases 1-702 of the mip gene of L. pneumophila; (ii) bases 1-9691 of the P1 adhesin gene of M. pneumoniae; or (iii) bases 1-1170 of the OmpA gene of C. pneumoniae.