B. Pron et al., Diagnosis and follow-up of Whipple's disease by amplification of the 16S rRNA gene of Tropheryma whippelii, EUR J CL M, 18(1), 1999, pp. 62-65
Citations number
15
Categorie Soggetti
Microbiology
Journal title
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Amplification of the 16S rRNA gene of Tropheryma whippelii was performed in
eight patients with Whipple's disease and 34 control patients to confirm a
diagnosis of Whipple's disease and to monitor the course of disease. Polym
erase chain reaction (PCR) tests were positive before treatment in 13 of 15
tissue samples from Whipple's disease patients (gut 8/8: lymph nodes 2/2;
bone marrow 1/2; peripheral blood 2/3), in contrast to none of 54 tissue sa
mples from controls. PCR tests converted to negative within 4-6 months in s
ix of the Whipple's disease patients undergoing therapy. These results show
that PCR is a reliable and useful tool for diagnosis of Whipple's disease
and for monitoring bacterial elimination during antibiotic therapy.