TABLE 2.

Detection of Legionella nucleic acid by gene probe and PCR in clinical samples

Clinical sample tested	Gene target(s)	Results	Reference
Frozen respiratory secretions	rRNA (Gen-Probe)	112 culture-positive, 63 positive; 230 culture-negative, 228 negative	78
Prospective respiratory secretions	rRNA (Gen-Probe)	427 samples; compared to DFA, 63% sensitive, 95% specific	222
Respiratory secretions	rRNA (Gen-Probe)	167 patients; 31-67% sensitive, 99% specific	94
BAL	mip gene	68 samples, 15 positive	151
BAL	5S rRNA, mip gene	52 samples, 3 positive (EnviroAmp kit)	161
Respiratory secretions	5S rRNA, mip gene	31 samples, 12 positive (EnviroAmp kit)	201
BAL	16S rRNA gene	51 samples, 7 positive	183
Serum	mip gene	5 patients, acute- and convalescent-phase sera positive	182
Urine	5S rRNA gene	21 pneumonia patients, 11 positive by PCR, 9 confirmed	193
BAL	16S rRNA	256 samples, 14 PCR positive	156
Intratracheal aspirates	mip gene, 5S rRNA	1 patient, 8 samples positive with both primers	169
Serum, urine	5S rRNA gene	28 patients, 18 positive	210
Serum, urine	700-bp fragment	Serum, 12 of 41 samples positive; urine, 6 of 20 samples positive	206
Respiratory secretions (BAL, sputum, pleural fluid, lung tissue, bronchial washing)	16S rRNA gene	212 specimens; 31 of 31 culture-positive samples positive; 12 culture-negative samples positive by PCR, 4 confirmed by sequencing	51
BAL	mip gene, 5S rRNA	43 specimens (LightCycler)	131
Respiratory secretions (BAL, sputum)	16S rRNA	77 samples, 2 culture-positive, both PCR-positive (LightCycler)