Rapid diagnosis of bacterial meningitis by using multiplex PCR and real time PCR

Background: The purpose of the present study was to improve a method for a rapid identification of bacteria in bacterial meningitis by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods: Ten species of bacteria which cause meningitis in children were investigated, and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with purulent meningitis was studied. The ribosomal RNA genes of bacteria are essential, and are highly conserved in the bacterial kingdoms with consensus region. The 23S rRNA region shows a larger variation among species than in the 16S rRNA region. The authors set primers in the universal region and specific region of 23S rRNA, then amplified these regions by multiplex PCR and real-time PCR. Results: All species of bacteria showed one band by PCR using universal primer. Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae showed two bands by multiplex PCR using a combination of universal primers and specific primers. The authors detected H. influenzae within 15 min by using real-time PCR. Conclusion: It was possible to identify clinically significant bacterial species in cerebrospinal fluid by multiplex PCR, and to identify H. influenzae by real-time PCR within a short period.