EVALUATION OF A DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID PROBE FOR THE DETECTION OF TRICHOMONAS-VAGINALIS IN VAGINAL SECRETIONS

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare Affirm VP, a new deoxyribonuclei c acid probe test, with standard ''wet preparation'' microscopic exami nations and culture for the identification of Trichomonas vaginalis or ganisms in vaginal secretions. STUDY DESIGN: We examined vaginal sampl es from 615 women with symptoms or signs of vaginitis for T: vaginalis using the deoxyribonucleic acid probe test, microscopic examination o f wet preparations of vaginal secretions, and culture in modified Diam ond's medium. RESULTS: T: vaginalis was identified in specimens from 9 5 (15.4%) of the 615 patients. Cultures in Diamond's medium identified 93 (98%) of the 95 infected patients. Vaginal wet preparation identif ied 76 (80%) of the infected women. The deoxyribonucleic acid probe te st detected 86 (90.5%) of the 95 infected patients. There was one fals e-positive deoxyribonucleic acid probe test (specificity 519/520: 99.8 %). CONCLUSION: The Affirm VP deoxyribonucleic acid probe test had a s ensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 99.8% for the identification of T: vaginalis organisms in women with symptoms with a high prevalence of trichomoniasis. Such a nonculture test may be of considerable benef it in diagnosing T: vaginalis infections, especially in settings where microscopy, culture, or both are unavailable, inconvenient, or unreli ably performed.