primate assay data sheet
Chlamydophila trachomatis (formerly
Chlamydia trachomatis)
Test codes:
B0011
- Ultrasensitive qualitative detection of Chlamydophila (Chlamydia)
trachomatis by real time polymerase chain reaction.
P0003
- Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) trachomatis and Neisseria gonorhoeae
screen by real time polymerase chain reaction. This screen
detects but does not differentiate N. gonorhoeae and
C. trachomatis.
Chlamydophila trachomatis is an obligate intracellular human pathogen. It is
one of three species in the genus
Chlamydophila,
formerly known as “Chlamydia”.
Members of this genus are all gram-negative staining bacteria.
C. trachomatis has
three human biovars: trachoma (serovars A, B, Ba or C),
urethritis (serovars D-K), and lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV,
serovars L1, 2 and 3). Many, but not all,
C. trachomatis strains
have an extrachromosomal plasmid.
Humans infected with C.
trachomatis can display urethritis, proctitis, trachoma, and
infertility. It can also cause prostatitis and epididymitis in
men and in women, cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID),
and ectopic pregnancy. C.
trachomatis is also a common pathogen in eye infections
(trachoma) and pulmonary complications in newborns.
Culture detection of these bacteria is difficult because they
are obligate intracellular bacteria. Laboratory diagnosis of the
infection is often done using PCR because it is highly sensitive
and specific (Kohl 2003). In low prevalence populations, the
high specificity of PCR testing is particularly important to
help ensure high
positive predictive values (the probability that a positive
test is a true positive).
Utilities:
-
Help confirm the disease causing agent
-
Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis of
C. trachomatis infection
-
Help ensure that animal populations and colonies are free of
C. trachomatis
-
Early prevention of spread of C. trachomatis
-
Minimize personnel exposure to C. trachomatis
-
Safety monitoring of biological products that derive from
susceptible animals
References:
Kohl, K.S, Markowitz, L.E and Koumans, E.H. (2003) Developments
in the screening for
Chlamydia trachomatis: a review. Obstet. Gynecol. Clin.
North Am. 30:637-58.
Specimen requirements:
Eye swab, or urogenital swab, or vaginal
swab, or 0.2 ml urine, or 0.2 ml bacterial culture.
Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.
For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or
during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped
and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping
requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped
so as to remain frozen in transit. See
shipping instructions for
more information.
Turnaround time: 2 business days
Methodology:
Qualitative real time PCR
Normal range: Nondetected