A broad-range PCR technique for the diagnosis of culture-negative osteomyelitis

Abstract

Osteomyelitis is a rare disease that is often caused by an infection. In case of microbiology analyses failure, molecular assay seems appropriate for the identification of the pathogen. Broad-range PCR is a popular tool to amplify the gene of 16S ribosomal RNA – the component of the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome present in various species. The subsequent sequencing of the amplified gene enables scientists to determine the bacteria species. In this review, we discuss studies and case reports where the osteomyelitis causative agent was revealed by means of broad-range PCR. The purpose of the analysis is to assess the relevance and significance of this method for the diagnosis of osteomyelitis in patients. Numerous successful applications of wide-range PCR followed by sequencing in order to identify the causative agent of osteomyelitis have proven that this method is a useful tool in cases where the culture analyses showed negative results.