Legionella Pneumophila Infections among Egyptian Patients: Updated Diagnostic Tests and Evaluation

Faculty Medicine Year: 2024
Type of Publication: ZU Hosted Pages:
Authors:
Journal: Afro-Egyptian Journal of Infectious and Endemic Diseases Zagazig University, Faculty of Medicine, Endemic and Tropical Medicine Department Volume:
Keywords : Legionella Pneumophila Infections among Egyptian Patients:    
Abstract:
Legionella pneumophila is a gram-negative bacterium, which is implicated in causing Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever. This study aims at evaluating the different updated diagnostic tests of L. pneumophila infections among pneumonic patients through the detection of L. pneumophila urinary antigen testing (UAT) and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) in comparison to the gold standard test and to detect the prevalence of pneumonia caused by L. pneumophila. Patients and Method: One hundred patients with features suggestive of pneumonia and confirmed by imaging were enrolled in this study. Serum, urine and lower respiratory specimens were obtained from patients admitted to the Chest and Tropical Medicine Departments, Zagazig University Hospitals. Patients were subjected to a urinary antigen test, lower respiratory specimens’ cultures and quantitative Real Time (RT) PCR for detection of the L. pneumophila mip gene. Results: Prevalence of L. pneumophila in Zagazig university hospitals was 17% detected by L. pneumophila urinary antigen testing (LPUAT), 15% of samples were positive by qRT-PCR-based mip gene and 12% positive by respiratory sample cultures. In comparison to respiratory sample culture, the gold standard, qPCR RT-PCR evaluation showed sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 94.3%, positive predictive value of 66.7%, negative predictive value of 97.6% and accuracy of 93.0%. Conclusion: Molecular assays and UAT are promising methods that can be used in the rapid and early diagnosis of Legionella infections, but they seem not to be sufficient to replace microbial cultures, which must be associated with these techniques.
   
     
 
       

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