Performance of two commercial multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays for the etiological diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men

Abstract

Background and purpose: This study aimed to investigate the etiologies of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Taiwan. Methods: Two commercial assays, the BD MAX Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) panel and the Allplex™ STI Essential assay (CT, GC, Mycoplasma genitalium [MG], Mycoplasma hominis [MH], Ureaplasma urealyticum [UU], Ureaplasma parvum [UP], and TV) were evaluated. During the first stage, urine and rectal swab samples from 168 patients were evaluated using the BD MAX assay, and the multiplex RT-PCR Allplex™ STI Essential assay was applied only to the patients with positive results on the BD MAX asay (n = 49). During the second stage, urine and rectal swab samples from 90 patients were evaluated using the BD MAX assay and the Allplex™ qPCR. Results: The Allplex qPCR identified all CT, missed one and additionally one TV from the positive samples (n = 49) by the BD MAX assay in the first stage. At the second stage, both commercial assays showed similar detection rate of CT, NG or CT/NG coinfection (11.1%, 1.1% and 4.4% by the BD MAX assay; 10.0%, 1.1% and 2.2% by the Allplex qPCR). The positivity rates of MG, MH, and UU by the Allplex qPCR were 4.4%, 2.2%, and 12.2%, respectively, for urine samples and 10%, 13.3%, and 22.2%, respectively, for anal swab samples. Conclusions: High rates of STI-associated etiologies were observed in MSM. The positive rates were higher in rectal swabs than in urine samples.

Keywords

• Sexually transmitted infections
• Allplex™ STI Essential assay
• BD MAX assay
• Performance
• Men who have sex with men