Thursday, December 07, 2006

STD detection without the painful urethral swab!

A relatively new urine test is now available that can detect GC and Chlamydia in the urine via DNA amplification. It is called the BD ProbeTecTM (Quest Diagnostics) and it uses PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology to detect GC and chlamydial DNA fragments in the urine of patients with suspected STD’s 12-14. Other venders produce similar PCR based tests that are highly sensitive and specific. Men are simple asked to void into a sterile collection cup, and the urine is transferred to the preservative containing transport tube with a pipette. No urethral swab is needed. Since epididymitis in young men is considered an STD and most commonly caused by chlamydial infection, the DNA urine probe has become a useful adjunct in the diagnosis and treatment of epididymitis.

Dr S.