TABLE 3.
Results of the four PCR assays according to patient classification and type of samplea
| PCR method and result | Proven PCP (n = 12) |
Probable PCP (n = 25) |
Possible PCP (n = 22) |
No final diagnosis of PCP (n = 54) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAL or biopsy specimen (n = 11) | BA or Spu (n = 1) | BAL or biopsy specimen (n = 4) | BA or Spu (n = 21) | BAL or biopsy specimen (n = 13) | BA or Spu (n = 9) | BAL or biopsy specimen (n = 35) | BA or Spu (n = 19) | |
| In-house PCR (11) | ||||||||
| No. negative (%) | 0/11 (0) | 0/1 (0) | 0/4 (0) | 0/21 (0) | 3/13 (23.1) | 1/9 (11.1) | 31/35 (88.6) | 18/19 (94.7) |
| No. positive (%) | 11/11 (100) | 1/1 (100) | 4/4 (100) | 21/21 (100) | 10/13 (76.9) | 8/9 (88.9) | 4/35 (11.4) | 1/19 (5.3) |
| Median CT (range) | 25.91 (22.45–32.63) | 27.62b | 31.4 (28.03–33.75) | 27.03 (22.97–34.83) | 32.88 (28.96–39.20) | 33.92 (29.89–38.38) | 37.14 (36.32–38.63) | 35.12b |
| AmpliSens PCR | ||||||||
| No. negative (%) | 0/11 (0) | 0/1 (0) | n = 0/4 (0) | 0/21 (0) | 2/13 (15.4) | 1/9 (11.1) | 28/35 (80) | 17/19 (89.5) |
| No. positive (%) | 11/11 (100) | 1/1 (100) | 4/4 (100) | 21/21 (100) | 11/13 (84.6) | 8/9 (88.9) | 7/35 (20) | 2/19 (10.5) |
| Median CT (range) | 21.55 (18.32–27.67) | 26.41b | 26.94 (24.31–29.96) | 24.12 (20.00–31.08) | 31.28 (27.05–39.54) | 32.16 (27.47–38.94) | 35.54 (32.60–38.48) | 34.39 (32.76–36.01) |
| MycAssay PCR | ||||||||
| No. negative (%) | 0/11 (0) | 0/1 (0) | 0/4 (0) | 0/21 (0) | 3/13 (23.1) | 2/9 (22.2) | 32/35 (91.4) | 18/19 (94.7) |
| No. positive (%) | 11/11 (100) | 1/1 (100) | 4/4 (100) | 21/21 (100) | 10/13 (76.9) | 7/9 (77.8) | 3/35 (8.6) | 1/19 (5.3) |
| Median CT (range) | 22.94 (17.53–28.88) | 28.13b | 28.54 (23.11–32.42) | 25.67 (22.56–30.61) | 30.33 (28.77–32.76) | 30.1 (27.91–32.21) | 31.62 (30.18–33.00) | 32.47b |
| Bio-Evolution PCR | ||||||||
| No. negative (%) | 0/11 (0) | 0/1 (0) | 1/4 (25) | 1/21 (4.8) | 6/13 (46.2) | 4/9 (44.4) | 35/35 (100) | 19/19 (100) |
| No. positive (%) | 11/11 (100) | 1/1 (100) | 3/4 (75) | 20/21 (95.2) | 7/13 (53.9) | 5/9 (55.6) | 0/35 (0) | 0/19 (0) |
| Median CT (range) | 20.26 (16.97–31.46) | 31.99b | 29.17 (28.45–32.95) | 24.96 (18.98–33.33) | 30.72 (28.26–33.43) | 31.75 (29.76–35.00) | c | c |
a
Only untreated patients at the time of pulmonary sampling were included (n = 113).
b
Only one positive value was available.
c
No positive samples were available.