Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26600815›Full record

ArticleThe Canadian journal of infectious diseases & medical microbiology = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses et de la microbiologie medicale

Development and validation of a Pneumocystis jirovecii real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia.

Deirdre L Church, Anshula Ambasta, Amanda Wilmer, Holly Williscroft, Gordon Ritchie, Dylan R Pillai, Sylvie Champagne, Daniel G Gregson

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Canadian journal of infectious diseases & medical microbiology = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses et de la microbiologie medicale. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Evaluation of the ELITe InGenius PCR assay compared with immunofluorescence for Pneumocystis jirovecii detection in respiratory samples.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Is It Possible to DifferentiateJournal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Deirdre L ChurchDivision of Microbiology, Calgary Laboratory Services, Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia ; Division of Medical Microbiology and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia ; Medicine, Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, and Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Anshula AmbastaMedicine, Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, and Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Amanda WilmerDivision of Medical Microbiology, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Holly WilliscroftDivision of Microbiology, Calgary Laboratory Services, Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Gordon RitchieDivision of Medical Microbiology, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia ; St Paul's Hospital and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Dylan R PillaiDivision of Microbiology, Calgary Laboratory Services, Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia ; Division of Medical Microbiology and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia ; Medicine, Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, and Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Sylvie ChampagneDivision of Medical Microbiology, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia ; St Paul's Hospital and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Daniel G GregsonDivision of Microbiology, Calgary Laboratory Services, Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia ; Division of Medical Microbiology and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia ; Medicine, Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, and Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
University of British Columbia · CAAlberta Health Services · CACalgary Laboratory Services · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPneumocystis jirovecii (PJ), a pathogenic fungus, causes severe interstitial Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) among immunocompromised patients. A laboratory-developed real-time polyermase chain reaction (PCR) assay was validated for PJ detection to improve diagnosis of PCP.

methodsForty stored bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples (20 known PJ positive [PJ+] and 20 known PJ negative [PJ-]) were initially tested using the molecular assay. Ninety-two sequentially collected BAL samples were then analyzed using an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and secondarily tested using the PJ real-time PCR assay. Discrepant results were resolved by retesting BAL samples using another real-time PCR assay with a different target. PJ real-time PCR assay performance was compared with the existing gold standard (ie, IFA) and a modified gold standard, in which a true positive was defined as a sample that tested positive in two of three methods in a patient suspected to have PCP.

resultsNinety of 132 (68%) BAL fluid samples were collected from immunocompromised patients. Thirteen of 92 (14%) BALs collected were PJ+ when tested using IFA. A total of 40 BAL samples were PJ+ in the present study including: all IFA positive samples (n=13); all referred PJ+ BAL samples (n=20); and seven additional BAL samples that were IFA negative, but positive using the modified gold standard. Compared with IFA, the PJ real-time PCR had sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 100%, 91%, 65% and 100%, respectively. Compared with the modified gold standard, PJ real-time PCR had a sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 100%.

conclusionPJ real-time PCR improved detection of PJ in immunocompromised patients.

Indexed as

DiagnosisImmunocompromisedP jiroveciiPneumocystis pneumoniaReal-time PCR

Identifiers

PMID26600815
PMCPMC4644010
OpenAlexW2229802929

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.