Abstract
The three major causes of genital ulcer disease (GUD) are herpes simplex virus (HSV), Treponema pallidum, and Haemophilus ducreyi. Although techniques exist for the laboratory diagnosis of all three organisms, constraints of cost, availability of equipment and expertise, and the lack of sensitivity and specificity of available tests, result in clinical presentation being primarily used for the diagnosis of GUD both in the United States and in developing countries. Due to the overlapping clinical presentation of the three diseases caused by these etiologic agents, and due to coinfection, these diseases are often misdiagnosed (1). It is now recognized that not only is GUD a cofactor in HIV transmission, but also that treatment of sexually transmitted diseases can reduce the incidence of HIV (2–4), thus efficient and early diagnosis and treatment of GUD is of utmost importance.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsSpringer Nature is developing a new tool to find and evaluate Protocols. Learn more
References
Sturm, A. W., Stolting, G. J., Cormane, R. H., and Zanen, H. C. (1987) Clinical and microbiological evaluation of 46 episodes of genital ulceration. Genitourin. Med., 63,98–101.
Grosskurth, H., Mosha, F., Todd, J., Mwijarubi, E., Klokke, A., Senkoro, K., et al. (1995) Impact of improved treatment of sexually transmitted diseases on HIV infection in rural Tanzania: randomized controlled trial. Lancet, 346, 530–536.
Holmberg, S.D., Stewart, J. A., Gerber, A..R., Byers, R. H., Lee, F. K., O’Malley, P. M., and Nahmias, A. J. (1988) Prior herpes simplex virus type 2 infection as a risk factor for HIV infection. JAMA, 259, 1048–1050.
Jessamine, P. G., Plummer, F. A., Ndinya-Achola, J. O., Wainberg, M. A., Wamola, I., D’Costa, L., et al. (1990) Human immunodeficiency virus, genital ulcers and the male foreskin: synergism in HIV-1 transmission. Scand. J. Infect. Dis. Suppl, 69, 181–186.
Burstain, J. M., Gimprel, E., Lukehart, S. A., Norgard, M. V., and Radolf, J. D. (1991) Sensitive detection of T. pallidum by using the polymerase chain reaction. J. Clin. Microbiol. 19, 62–69.
Gimprel, E., Sanchez, P. J., Wendel, G. D., Burstain, J. M., McCracken, Jr., G. H., et al. (1991) Use of polymerase chain reaction and rabbit infectivity testing to detect Treponema pallidum in amniotic fluid, fetal and neonatal sera, and cerebrospinal fluid. J. Clin. Microbiol., 29, 1711–1718.
Hay, P. E., Clarke, J. R., Strugnell, R. A., Taylor-Robinson, D., and Goldmeier, D. (1990) Use of the polymerase chain reaction to detect DNA sequences specific to pathogenic treponemes in cerebrospinal fluid. FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 68,233–238.
Noordhoek, G. T., Wolters, C, de Jonge, M. E. J., and van Embden, J. D. A. (1991) Detection by polymerase chain reaction of Treponema pallidum DNA in cerebrospinal fluid from neurosyphilis patients before and after antibiotic treatment. J. Clin. Microbiol., 29, 1976–1984.
Wicher, K., G., Noordhoek, G. T., Abbruscata, F., and Wicher, V. (1992) Detection of Treponema pallidum in early syphilis by DNA amplification. J. Clin. Microbiol., 30,497–500.
Cohen, B. A., Rowley, A. H., and Long, C. M. (1994) Herpes simplex type 2 in a patient with Mollaret’s meningitis: demonstration by polymerase chain reaction. Ann. Neurol, 35, 112–116.
Cone, R. W., Hobson, A. C, Palmer, J., Remington, M., and Corey, L. (1991) Extended duration of herpes simplex virus DNA in genital lesions detected by the polymerase chain reaction. J. Infect. Dis., 164, 757–760.
Hardy, D. A., Arvin, A. M., Yasukawa, L. L., Bronzan, R. N., Lewinsohn, D. M., Hensleigh, P. A., and Prober, C. G. (1990) Use of polymerase chain reaction for successful identification of asymptomatic genital infection with herpes simplex virus in pregnant women at delivery. J. Infect. Dis., 162, 1031–1035.
Kimura, H., Shibata, M., Kuzushima, K., Nishiyama, Y., and Morishima, T. (1990) Detection and direct typing of herpes simplex virus by polymerase chain reaction. Med. Microbiol. Immunol., 179, 177–184.
Lakeman, F. D., Whitley, J., and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Collaborative Antiviral Study Group. (1995) Diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis: application of polymerase chain reaction to cerebrospinal fluid from brain-biopsied patients and correlation with disease. J. Infect. Dis., 171, 857–863.
Chui, L., Albritton, W., Paster, B., Maclean, I., and Marusyk, R. (1993) Development of the polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of Haemophilus ducreyi. J. Clin. Microbiol., 31, 659–664.
Parsons, L. M, Waring, A. L., Otido, J., and Shayegani, M. (1995) Laboratory diagnosis of chancroid using species-specific primers from Haemophilus ducreyi groEL and the polymerase chain reaction. Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis., 23, 89–98.
West, B., Wilson, S. M, Changalucha, J., Patel, S., Mayaud, P., Ballard, R. C, and Mabey, D. (1995) Simplified PCR for detection of Haemophilus ducreyi and diagnosis of chancroid. J. Clin. Microbiol., 33, 787–790.
Johnson, S. R., Martin, D. H., Cammarata, C, and Morse, S. A. (1995) Alterations in sample preparation increase sensitivity of PCR assay for diagnosis of chancroid. J. Clin. Microbiol., 33, 1036–1038.
Orle, K. A., Gates, C. A., Martin, D. H., Body, B. A., and Weiss, J. B. (1996) Simultaneous PCR detection of Haemophilus ducreyi, Treponema pallidum, and herpes simpex virus types 1 and 2 from genital ulcers. J. Clin Microbiol., 34,49–54.
Morse, S. A., Trees, D. L., Htun, Y., Radebe, F., Orle, K. A., Dangor, Y., et al. (1997) Comparison of clinical diagnosis and standard laboratory and molecular methods for the diagnosis of genital ulcer disease in Lesotho: Association with human immunodeficiency virus infection, J. Infect. Dis., 175, 583–589.
Mertz, K. J., Weiss, J. B., Webb, R. M., Levine, W. C, Lewis, J. S., Orle, K. A., et al. (1998) An investigation of genital ulcers in Jackson, Mississippi, using a multiplex PCR assay: High prevalence of chancroid and HIV infection. J. Infect. Dis., in press.
Trees, D., Mertz, K., Petius, K., Levine, W., Weiss, J., Litchfield, B., Orle, K., and the GUD surveillance group. (1997) Etiology of genital ulcer disease and the level of HIV co-infection in 10 U.S. cities, abstr. C-3118, p. 176 In Abstracts of the 97th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. American Society for Microbiology, Miami Beach, FL.
Van Dyck, E. et al. unpublished data.
Maclean, I. et al. unpublished data.
Fleming, D. et al. unpublished data.
CDC. (1995) Chancroid detected by polymerase chain reaction-Jackson, Mississippi, 1994–1995. MMWR, 44:567, 573–574.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Orle, K.A., Weiss, J.B. (1999). Detection of Treponema pallidum, Haemophilus ducreyi, and Herpes Simplex Virus by Multiplex PCR. In: Peeling, R.W., Sparling, P.F. (eds) Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Methods in Molecular Medicine™, vol 20. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-535-2:67
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-535-2:67
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-535-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-212-8
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols