ArticleBMC research notes2020
Is real time PCR preferable to the direct immunofluorescence in the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in HIV-infected patients?
Article in BMC research notes, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- 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 · 2026Article
- An automated plasma-based proteotyping immunoassay for APOE ε4 zygosity classification in Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Article
- CRISPR-Cas12 Application for the Detection ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Review
- Quick versus Quantitative: Evaluation of Two Commercial Real-Time PCR Assays for the Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii from Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluids.Microbiology spectrum · 2023Article
- Exploring the Differences in Pneumocystis Pneumonia Infection Between HIV and Non-HIV Patients.Cureus · 2022Review
- Quantitative PCR to Discriminate BetweenFrontiers in microbiology · 2021Article
- A Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of LowFrontiers in microbiology · 2021Article
- Variable Correlation between Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Fungal Load and Serum-(1,3)-β-d-Glucan in Patients with Pneumocystosis-A Multicenter ECMM Excellence Center Study.Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Performance of real-time PCR and immunofluorescence assay for diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia in real-world clinical practice.PloS one · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesIn this study, we compared IFA and real-time PCR in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens of HIV infected patients. A total of 66 BALs from 62 HIV patients were included in the study. 30 IFA positive and 36 IFA negative specimens were tested with real-time PCR, targeting the major surface glycoprotein. We performed a retrospective analysis of the patient's medical records, compared the results of the IFA and PCR tests and analyzed costs, expenditure of time and personal expenses.
resultsAll of the 30 IFA positive samples were PCR positive. 35 of 36 IFA negative probes were also negative in the PCR assay. Considering the PCR results as a binary outcome (positive/negative) sensitivity was 100%, specificity 97.2%. The patient with negative IFA and positive PCR had a clear clinical picture of PCP and responded to PCP treatment. PCR was more than twice as expensive and time-consuming as IFA. Diagnostic accuracy for PCP of PCR and IFA was comparable in HIV-infected patients, but IFA was significantly less expensive and less time-consuming. Therefore, IFA testing can continue to be used as gold standard in the diagnosis of PCP in HIV patients. However, in special cases, IFA may lack sensitivity and PCR should be added to the diagnostic armamentarium.
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