Detection of metallo-β-lactamase genes in clinical specimens by a commercial multiplex PCR system

hyplex (R)-MBL ID Multiplex PCR-ELISA, a novel method for identifying metallo-beta-lactamase genes directly in clinical specimens, was evaluated using a consecutive collection of 326 samples from three hospitals in Greece characterized by high prevalence of VIM producers. The method exhibited high sensitivity (98.0%) and specificity (98.6%) and was proven reliable in detecting bla(VIM) genes in blood, urine, pus, and sputum samples that, as confirmed by conventional methods, contained various VIM-producing species. Future multicenter studies should be considered for the thorough evaluation of this method and its potential ;diagnostic utility. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.