Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in individual and pooled endocervical and urethral scrapes by a commercially available polymerase chain reaction.

The aim of this study was to compare a commercially available PCR kit (Amplicor, Roche) with our present routine analysis (SYVA EIA) for the detection of genital C. trachomatis infection in females. Furthermore, we wished to investigate the possibility of pooling samples for PCR analysis. Two hundred and sixty-eight consecutive female patients attending two gynecology clinics in Copenhagen, Denmark were included in this study. Compared to the number of samples regarded as true positives, PCR had a sensitivity of 100% (18/18) and EIA a sensitivity of 83.3% (15/18). The specificity of the PCR analysis was 99.2% (248/250) compared to 100% (250/250) for the EIA. By pooling patient samples (five patient samples in each pooled sample), a 39% reduction in reagent costs was obtained without affecting the sensitivity. In conclusion, the implementation of a standardized commercially available C. trachomatis PCR kit leads to a marked increase in analytical sensitivity compared to EIA without affecting the specificity. When pooled samples were analyzed, the cost per patient sample was reduced, but further large-scale studies are needed to rule out the possibility of a reduced sensitivity due to the dilution of individual patient samples.