RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Edberg, Andreas A1 Jurstrand, Margaretha A1 Johansson, Eva A1 Wikander, Elisabeth A1 Höög, Anna A1 Ahlqvist, Thomas A1 Falk, Lars A1 Jensen, Jørgen Skov A1 Fredlund, HansYR 2008 T1 A comparative study of three different PCR assays for detection of Mycoplasma genitalium in urogenital specimens from men and women JF Journal of Medical Microbiology, VO 57 IS 3 SP 304 OP 309 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.47498-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1473-5644, AB The aim of this study was to compare conventional 16S rRNA gene PCR, real-time 16S rRNA gene PCR and real-time Mycoplasma genitalium adhesin protein (MgPa) gene PCR as detection methods for M. genitalium infection. The study also determined the prevalence of M. genitalium in male and female patients attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic in a rural area in the west of Sweden. First void urine (FVU) and/or urethral swabs were collected from 381 men, and FVU and/or cervical swabs and/or urethral swabs were collected from 298 women. A total of 213 specimens were used in the PCR comparative study: 98 consecutively sampled specimens from patients enrolled in the prevalence study, 36 consecutively sampled specimens from patients with symptoms of urethritis and 79 specimens from patients positive for M. genitalium by real-time MgPa gene PCR in the prevalence study. A true-positive M. genitalium DNA specimen was defined as either a specimen positive in any two PCR assays or a specimen whose PCR product was verified by DNA sequencing. The prevalence of M. genitalium infection in men and women was 27/381 (7.1 %) and 23/298 (7.7 %), respectively. In the PCR comparative study, M. genitalium DNA was detected in 61/76 (80.3 %) of true-positive specimens by conventional 16S rRNA gene PCR, in 52/76 (68.4 %) by real-time 16S rRNA gene PCR and in 74/76 (97.4 %) by real-time MgPa gene PCR. Real-time MgPa gene PCR thus had higher sensitivity compared with conventional 16S rRNA gene PCR and had considerably increased sensitivity compared with real-time 16S rRNA gene PCR for detection of M. genitalium DNA. Real-time MgPa gene PCR is well suited for the clinical diagnosis of M. genitalium., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.47498-0