TABLE 5.

Summary of specificity estimates for PCR directed at pneumococcal genes in the published literature

Refer- ence	Target gene	Target size (bp)	PCR design	Specimen	Population	No. of samples	Specificity	95% CI
21	Pneumolysin	348, 208	Nested	Serum	Healthy elderly	100	0.94	0.89-0.99
4	Pneumolysin	355	Single step	Serum	Healthy children	174	0.80	0.74-0.86
4	Pneumolysin	355	Single step	Serum	Healthy adults	28	1.00
32	Pneumolysin	348, 208	Nested	Blood fraction	Healthy children	15	1.00
32	Pneumolysin	348, 208	Nested	Blood fraction	Sick children	8	1.00
1	16s rRNA	1030, 300, 940	PCR with HaeIII digest	Culture-negative CSFa	Not specified	61	1.00
12	Pneumolysin	348, 208	Nested	Serum	Outpatient adults	77	1.00
11	Pneumolysin	348, 208	Nested	Whole blood	Sick adults	50	0.96	0.91-1.00
13	Pneumolysin	208	Single step	3 blood fractions	Healthy and sick children	44	0.95	0.89-1.00

^aCSF, cerebrospinal fluid.