Songsak Rugsasuk. Detection and differentiation of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leptospira species by polymerase chain reaction . Master's Degree(Microbiology). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2003.
Detection and differentiation of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leptospira species by polymerase chain reaction
Abstract:
Leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution, is caused by pathogenic
Leptospira species. The spectrum of human disease caused by leptospires is extremely wide,
ranging from subclinical infection to severe syndrome. Clinical diagnosis of leptospirosis is
nonspecific. The direct methods of diagnosis (microscopic examination and cultivation) are
important but limited. The serological testings require the time of rising antibodies.
The objectives of this study were to develop PCR for diagnosing leptospiral infection
and differentiate pathogenic and non-pathogenic leptospires in one tube of PCR, to
determine analytical sensitivity and specificity of PCR assay, and to evaluate the sensitivity
and specificity of the PCR using isolation as a gold standard. In addition, the objective of
this study was to compare three methods of QIAamp® DNA mini kit, DNAzol solution
treatment, and boiling used to extract Leptospira DNA from culture and kidney.
Twenty-three serovars of pathogenic leptospires (australis, autumnalis, ballum,
bangkok, bataviae, bratislarva, canicola, celledoni, copenhegeni, djasiman, grippotyphosa,
hardjo, hebdomadis, icterohaemorrhage, javanica, pomona, pyrogenes, rachamati, saigon,
sarmin, sejroe, tarassovi, and wolffi) and one non-pathogenic serovar (patoc) were used as
references in a single PCR reaction containing three oligonucleotide primers whereby each
primer was specific to 23s rDNA of leptospires. These primer sets could detected leptospiral
DNA in rat kidney with positive isolation and amplified 615 bp for pathogenic leptospires
and 316 bp for non-pathogenic leptospires. PCR products of pathogenic or non-pathogenic
serovars was confirmed by digestion with restriction enzyme SacI or PstI. Analytical
sensitivity of PCR were tested by dilution of leptospires and specificity of PCR were tested
with other bacteria. To evaluate sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive
value of PCR test for detecting Leptospira DNA in rat kidneys were performed by known
result of Leptospira isolation in rat kidney specimens was used as a gold standard.
It was found that the positive results of PCR in pathogenic and non-pathogenic
serovars of leptospires were 615 bp and 316 bp, respectively. The PCR assay could detect
10 cells of leptospires and did not amplify DNA from most tested bacteria showing the
same size products of pathogenic or non-pathogenic leptospires. Sensitivity, specificity,
positive and negative predictive value of this PCR in rat kidney samples using isolation as
gold standard, were 94.5%, 100%, 100% and 92.6%,. From 3 extraction methods for this
PCR, the highest sensitivity were obtained from DNA extracted by QIAamp® DNA mini
kit (10cells/assay), boiling (40 cells/assay) and DNAzol solution (100 cells/assay),
respectively. Likewise the DNA that extracted from positive Leptospira isolation rat kidney
samples by QIAamp® DNA mini kit and DNAzol solution the highest sensitivity of
detection was obtain from QIAamp® DNA mini kit. The high sensitivity and specificity of
this new PCR assay for detecting leptospiral DNA in kidney from rats were demonstrated.
The assay may be useful as diagnostic tool for leptospirosis cases.