Triplex Direct Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes

The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method presented in this study allows the identification of pneumococcal capsular serotypes in cerebrospinal fluid without first performing DNA extraction. This testing approach, which saves time and resources, demonstrated similar sensitivity and a high level of agreement between cycle threshold values when it was compared side-by-side with the standard qPCR method with extracted DNA.

Automated summary

The qPCR method proposed in this study can identify pneumococcal capsular serotypes in cerebrospinal fluid without DNA extraction, saving time and resources. This testing approach showed similar sensitivity and a high level of agreement with the standard qPCR method when compared side-by-side.