SAMPLE PREPARATION FOR CHLAMYDIA-PNEUMONIAE PCR

Fifty-three clinical specimens taken from the retropharyngeal mucosa o f patients with longstanding respiratory tract infections were analyze d by polymerase chain reaction using two different methods for sample preparation. All specimens were divided into two aliquots, one treated with proteinase K, and the other with the Amplicor sputum sample prep aration kit. All tests were run in parallel, employing a primer pair s pecific for Chlamydia pneumoniae. Of the samples prepared with the Amp licor kit 20.8% were found to be positive, as compared to 7.5% of the samples prepared with proteinase K. The outcome of C. pneumoniae PCR w as improved by treatment involving a more complete lysis of cells deri ved from the specimen.