Identification of Pneumocystis carinii DNA by polymerase chain reaction in necropsy lung samples from children dying of respiratory tract illnesses.

Kasolo, Francis; Lishimpi, Kennedy; Chintu, Chifumbe; Mwaba, Peter; Mudenda, Victor; Maswahu, Daniel; Terunuma, Hiroshi; Fletcher, Helen et al. · J Pediatr · 2002

case_series · Level IV

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Abstract

Polymerase chain reaction for Pneumocystis carinii DNA was performed on necropsy lung samples from children by means of P carinii -specific primers.P carinii DNA was identified in 22 of 22 (100%) samples with histologically proven P carinii pneumonia and 13 of 75 (17%) with non-P carinii pneumonia respiratory illness (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 83%). The low specificity precludes the use of polymerase chain reaction as an alternative to histopathologic diagnosis.

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