Different diagnostic methods have been used for the laboratory confirmation of leptospirosis. Molecular diagnostic techniques are not only faster and more sensitive than culture analysis, but can also detect a Leptospira infection before the appearance of antibodies. The aim of the present study was to analyze and compare two different PCR approaches applied to blood and urine specimens obtained from patients with clinical manifestations that were suggestive of leptospirosis. Furthermore, the results of these different PCR approaches were compared with the results of culture and serology analyses. A total of 400 samples (234 blood or 58.5% and 166 urine of 41.5%) from 310 Slovenian patients with clinical manifestations suggestive of leptospirosis were tested using conventional PCR assays targeting the rrs gene and RT-PCR targeting the lipL32 gene. Additionally, culture, serology and sequence analysis were performed for the majority of these samples. The PCR and RT-PCR results were concordant in 376 out of 400 of these samples (94.0%). Conventional PCR was positive for 27 out of 400 samples (6.8%) and RT-PCR was positive for 47 out of 400 samples (11.8%). Culture and microscopic agglutination tests supported these diagnoses. A comparison of the two PCR methods indicated that the RT-PCR targeting of the lipL32 gene was faster, more sensitive and more specific for the determination of Leptospira DNA in these clinical samples.

中文翻译：

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评估针对lipL32基因的实时PCR诊断钩端螺旋体感染。

不同的诊断方法已用于实验室检查钩端螺旋体病。分子诊断技术不仅比培养分析更快，更灵敏，而且还可以在抗体出现之前检测出钩端螺旋体感染。本研究的目的是分析和比较两种不同的PCR方法，这些方法适用于从具有钩端螺旋体病临床表现的患者那里获得的血液和尿液样本。此外，将这些不同PCR方法的结果与培养和血清学分析的结果进行了比较。使用常规的针对rrs基因的PCR检测方法和针对lipL32基因的RT-PCR检测了310例具有钩端螺旋体病临床表现的斯洛文尼亚患者的400份样品（234份血液或58.5％的尿液和166份尿液的41.5％的尿液）。另外，对这些样品中的大多数进行了培养，血清学和序列分析。400个样本中的376个（94.0％）的PCR和RT-PCR结果一致。常规PCR在400个样品中有27个（6.8％）呈阳性，而RT-PCR在400个样品中有47个（11.8％）呈阳性。培养和显微镜凝集试验支持了这些诊断。两种PCR方法的比较表明，针对LipL32基因的RT-PCR靶向检测这些临床样品中钩端螺旋体DNA的速度更快，更灵敏且更具特异性。8％），RT-PCR在400个样本中占47个（11.8％）。培养和显微镜凝集试验支持了这些诊断。两种PCR方法的比较表明，针对LipL32基因的RT-PCR靶向检测这些临床样品中钩端螺旋体DNA的速度更快，更灵敏且更具特异性。8％），RT-PCR在400个样本中占47个（11.8％）。培养和显微镜凝集试验支持了这些诊断。两种PCR方法的比较表明，针对LipL32基因的RT-PCR靶向检测这些临床样品中钩端螺旋体DNA的速度更快，更灵敏且更具特异性。