BACKGROUND: Since polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was devised by Saiki in 1985, it has been used extensively in various fields of molecular biology. Clinically, PCR is especially useful in situation when microbiological or serological diagnosis is limited by scanty amount of causative agents. Thus, PCR can provide rapid and sensitive way of detecting M. tuberculosis in tuberculosis pleurisy which is diagnosed in only about 60% of cases by conventional method. METHOD: To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of PCR in tuberculosis pleurisy, The results of PCR was compared with those of conventional method, including pleural biopsy. The pleural effusion fluid was collected from 7 proven patients, 7 clinically suspected patients and control group(7 patients with malignant effusion). We extracted DNA from pleural fluid by modified method of Eisennach method(1991). The amplification target for PCR was 123 base pair DNA, a part of IS6110. RESULT: 1) Sensitivity of PCR: We detected upto 50fg DNA. 2) In patients with pleural effusion of proven tuberculosis, the positive rate of PCR was 85.7% (6/7). In patients with pleural effusion of clinically suspected tuberculosis, the positive rate was 71.5% (5/7). In control group, positive rate was 0% (0/7). CONCLUSION: We concluded that PCR methd could be a very rapid, sensitive and specific one for diagnosis of M tuberculosis in pleural effusion. Further studies should be followed for the development of easier method.
Base Pairing ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Humans ; Molecular Biology ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Pleural Effusion* ; Pleurisy ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tuberculosis

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: To investigate the prevalence and clinical implications of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in patients with chronic renal failure, a cross-sectional study of 131 hemodialysis patients and 33 kidney transplantation recipients was conducted. METHODS: HGV RNA was amplified by reverse-transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with primers from the 5'-untranslated region of the viral genome. RESULTS: The prevalence of HGV infection in patients with chronic renal failure was 25%(41/164). The following factors were taken into consideration: the mean age(43.15+/-11.97 years vs 46.46+/-13.08 years), the male to female ratio(2.15:1 vs 1.86:1), the mean of the dialysis duration(4.58+/-3.18 years vs 3.90+/-3.31 years), transfusion history (75.6% vs 62.6%), the mean of the ALT level during the prior 6 months(25.78+/-21.50 IU/L vs 23.00+/-59.49 IU/L), and the amount of transfusion(6.22+/-8.03 units vs 5.74+/-9.44 units). The anti-HCV(4.88% vs 8.94%) showed no difference between HGV RNA positive and negative group. The HBsAg positive ratio was 19.5% and 5.81% in HGV RNA positive group and negative group, respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HGV infection in patients with chronic renal failure was 25%. There was a higher rate of HBsAg positivity in the HGV RNA positive group rather than in the negative group. HGV infection did not seem to be associated with clinically significant hepatitis.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dialysis ; Female ; GB virus C* ; Genome, Viral ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; Renal Dialysis ; RNA