TABLE 1.

speB PCR detection results from tissue specimens from 21 patients

Patient	Classification	Conventional culture result	speB PCR result
1	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
2	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
3	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
4	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
5	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
6	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
7	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
8	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
9	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group A streptococcus	Positive
10	Necrotizing fasciitis	Negative (serology +)a	Positive
11	Necrotizing fasciitis	Group B streptococcus	Negative
12	Necrotizing fasciitis	Staphylococcus aureus	Negative
13	Necrotizing fasciitis	Streptococcus anginosis, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Bacteroides fragilis	Negative
14	Necrotizing fasciitis	No growth	Negative
15	Control tissueb	Microaerophilic streptococci, Coagulase-negative staphylococci, diphtheroids	Negative
16	Control tissue	Mixed coliforms	Negative
17	Control tissue	Coagulase-negative staphylococci, E. coli	Negative
18	Control tissue	No growth	Negative
19	Control tissue	No growth	Negative
20	Control tissue	No growth	Negative
21	Control tissue	No growth	Negative

^aDNase B titer (Behring Diagnostics). 

^bControl tissue samples included ischemic injury with gangrene (one patient), pyoderma gangrenosum (one patient), cellulitis (one patient), and soft tissue with no pathological diagnosis (four patients).