DETECTION OF HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE IN MIDDLE-EAR OF OTITIS-MEDIA WITH EFFUSION BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is one of the major causes of hearing loss in childhood. The pathogenesis still remains unclear, though it is closely related to acute otitis media with bacterial infections. It is known that Haemophilus influenzae is one of the most common bacter ia isolated from middle ear effusions (MEEs). Recently, in vitro DNA a mplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a new technology th at has considerable implication for diagnosis of viral and bacterial i nfections because of its potentially precise specificity and sensitivi ty. In the present experiment polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was appl ied to the detection of DNA genome of H. influenzae contained in middl e ear effusions. By Southern blot hybridization, two characteristic ba nds for H. influenzae DNA were detected at 273 b.p. and 550 b.p. posit ion in 15 of 27 MEEs. However, no organism was cultured by conventiona l methods. Our results indicate the PCR technique is more specific and sensitive in detection of bacteria in middle ear effusion of OME, com pared with conventional methods. It strongly suggests more involvement of the bacteria, especially H. influenzae, in OME onset.