Sc. Kehl et al., EVALUATION OF THE ABBOTT LCX ASSAY FOR DETECTION OF NEISSERIA-GONORRHOEAE IN ENDOCERVICAL SWAB SPECIMENS FROM FEMALES, Journal of clinical microbiology (Print), 36(12), 1998, pp. 3549-3551
The Abbott LCx Neisseria gonorrhoeae assay (Abbott Laboratories, Abbot
t Park, ill.) uses a ligase chain reaction (LCR) amplification in the
LCx probe system for detection of a specific nucleotide sequence in th
e Opa-encoding gene of N. gonorrhoeae. We evaluated the LCx assay in a
comparison with conventional culture employing modified Thayer-Martin
media for the detection of N. gonorrhoeae from female endocervical sp
ecimens obtained from patients attending a sexually transmitted diseas
e clinic. Discordantly LCR-positive and culture-negative specimens wer
e further evaluated by testing with another LCR assay which used an N,
gonorrhoeae-specific pilin probe. Specimens positive by both LCR assa
ys were considered confirmed LCx-positive specimens. A specimen was co
nsidered to contain N, gonorrhoeae when it was either culture positive
or culture negative and confirmed LCx positive. A total of 403 female
endocervical specimens were evaluated. The prevalence of N. gonorrhoe
ae in this population was 8.7%. The sensitivity and specificity of the
LCx assay were 94.3 and 99.4%, and those of culture were 77.1 and 100
%, respectively. The Abbott LCx assay is a rapid, sensitive method for
detection of N, gonorrhoeae in female endocervical specimens.