Download Emerging Techniques for Diagnosis of Lung Infection

EMERGING TECHNIQUES FOR DIAGNOSIS OF LUNG INFECTION
Richard Malley, MD
Division of Infectious Diseases
Chidren’s Hospital Boston, USA
Current diagnostic tests lack sensitivity for the identification of the bacterial
etiology of pneumonia. Over the past 20 years, there have been numerous
attempts to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of detection of bacterial
pathogens in pneumonia, including, but not limited to, different sampling
approaches, antibody-antigen complexes, or polymerase chain reaction. It is fair
to state that these approaches have, in general, been disappointing. Surrogate
markers for specific pathogens (e.g. Streptococcus pneumoniae) have been
proposed, particularly in the context of developing countries, making use of
conjugate vaccine studies as probes.
Among pneumococcal diagnostics
currently under investigation, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction of
respiratory secretions, as well as urinary antigen detection and
serological analyses, are all potential candidates for use in future clinical trials.
The purpose of this talk will be to describe methodologies in diagnosis of
bacterial pulmonary infections, with a particular emphasis on novel approaches
to establish the etiology of infection.