Pierre Staquet1, Ludovic Lemee2,3, Eva Verdier4, Guy Bonmarchand5, Vincent Laudenbach6, Christine Michel6, Jean-Francois Lemeland2,3, Stephane Marret6, Thierry Blanc6. 1. Service de Pédiatrie Néonatale et Réanimation, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, 1, Rue de Germont, 76031, Rouen Cedex, France. pierre.staquet@chu-rouen.fr. 2. Groupe de Recherche sur les Antimicrobiens et les Microorganismes (G.R.A.M. EA 2656, I.F.R. 23), Université de Rouen, U.F.R. Médecine-Pharmacie, Rouen, France. 3. Service de Bactériologie, University Hospital of Rouen, Rouen, France. 4. Service de Dermatologie, University Hospital of Rouen, Rouen, France. 5. Service de Réanimation Médicale, University Hospital of Rouen, Rouen, France. 6. Service de Pédiatrie Néonatale et Réanimation, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, 1, Rue de Germont, 76031, Rouen Cedex, France.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the usefulness of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) assay for the detection of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) and genogrouping on skin lesion biopsies in patients with purpura fulminans (PF). DESIGN: Retrospective single-centre study. SETTING: Adult and paediatric intensive care units at the University Hospital of Rouen. PATIENTS: All patients admitted between January 2000 and January 2006, with a final diagnosis of PF and for which a skin biopsy and blood cultures were performed, were included. INTERVENTIONS: Skin biopsy and blood cultures were used for culture and rtPCR. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-four patients fulfilled the criteria (27 children and 7 adults). Nm rtPCR performed on skin biopsy was positive in 100% (34/34) of cases, compared with only 14.7% (5/34) for skin culture (p=0.0001). rtPCR genogrouping on skin biopsy was positive in 58.8% (20/34) of the cases compared with 14.7% (5/34) for skin culture (p=0.0013). For patients (n=17) in whom rtPCR was performed both on blood and skin biopsy, skin biopsy gave a significantly higher rate of Nm detection [100% (17/17) vs. 58.8% (10/17); p=0.023] and genogroup characterisation [76.5% (13/17) vs. 35.3% (6/17); p=0.045] than blood. We encountered no specimen with culture-positive and rtPCR-negative results (negative predictive value of rtPCR 100%). CONCLUSION: In suspected PF cases, skin biopsy is more reliable to identify Nm and its genogroup than blood or, probably, CSF, especially when PCR methods are used. This could help the implementation of public health interventions, especially concerning a vaccination policy.
OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the usefulness of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) assay for the detection of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) and genogrouping on skin lesion biopsies in patients with purpura fulminans (PF). DESIGN: Retrospective single-centre study. SETTING: Adult and paediatric intensive care units at the University Hospital of Rouen. PATIENTS: All patients admitted between January 2000 and January 2006, with a final diagnosis of PF and for which a skin biopsy and blood cultures were performed, were included. INTERVENTIONS: Skin biopsy and blood cultures were used for culture and rtPCR. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-four patients fulfilled the criteria (27 children and 7 adults). Nm rtPCR performed on skin biopsy was positive in 100% (34/34) of cases, compared with only 14.7% (5/34) for skin culture (p=0.0001). rtPCR genogrouping on skin biopsy was positive in 58.8% (20/34) of the cases compared with 14.7% (5/34) for skin culture (p=0.0013). For patients (n=17) in whom rtPCR was performed both on blood and skin biopsy, skin biopsy gave a significantly higher rate of Nm detection [100% (17/17) vs. 58.8% (10/17); p=0.023] and genogroup characterisation [76.5% (13/17) vs. 35.3% (6/17); p=0.045] than blood. We encountered no specimen with culture-positive and rtPCR-negative results (negative predictive value of rtPCR 100%). CONCLUSION: In suspected PF cases, skin biopsy is more reliable to identify Nm and its genogroup than blood or, probably, CSF, especially when PCR methods are used. This could help the implementation of public health interventions, especially concerning a vaccination policy.
Authors: Massimo Antonelli; Elie Azoulay; Marc Bonten; Jean Chastre; Giuseppe Citerio; Giorgio Conti; Daniel De Backer; François Lemaire; Herwig Gerlach; Johan Groeneveld; Goran Hedenstierna; Duncan Macrae; Jordi Mancebo; Salvatore M Maggiore; Alexandre Mebazaa; Philipp Metnitz; Jerôme Pugin; Jan Wernerman; Haibo Zhang Journal: Intensive Care Med Date: 2008-02-29 Impact factor: 17.440
Authors: Jennifer Dolan Thomas; Cynthia P Hatcher; Dara A Satterfield; M Jordan Theodore; Michelle C Bach; Kristin B Linscott; Xin Zhao; Xin Wang; Raydel Mair; Susanna Schmink; Kathryn E Arnold; David S Stephens; Lee H Harrison; Rosemary A Hollick; Ana Lucia Andrade; Juliana Lamaro-Cardoso; Ana Paula S de Lemos; Jenna Gritzfeld; Stephen Gordon; Ahmet Soysal; Mustafa Bakir; Dolly Sharma; Shabnam Jain; Sarah W Satola; Nancy E Messonnier; Leonard W Mayer Journal: PLoS One Date: 2011-05-05 Impact factor: 3.240