The human papillomavirus is a serious threat. Diagnostics are necessary to determine the strain of infection and the risk of its oncogenicity. Such information allows us to formulate the most appropriate and effective treatment plan.
Chlamydia diagnostics using PCR is the most sensitive and specific method of all currently used in laboratories. The sensitivity of the method is 95-97%, and the specificity is 95-98%.
Mycoplasmas are considered opportunistic pathogens. They persist and parasitize on the membranes of epithelial cells and can be localized both extra- and intracellularly.
PCR allows to establish the presence of gonococcal DNA directly and to quantitatively express their concentration in the studied material. The studied material can be sputum, lavage fluid, urine, punctures from various organs and cysts, etc.
The diagnostic sensitivity of PCR for detection of Helicobacter pylori in gastric mucosa biopsies is 88-95.4%, specificity is 100%; in coprofiltrates - 61.4-93.7% and 100%, respectively.
Unlike serological methods for diagnosing tuberculosis infection, which detect antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, PCR allows for the direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA and quantitative expression of their concentration in the test material.
Recently, the detection of HSV 1 and 2 DNA in material from vesicles and ulcers of the skin or mucous membranes (including the conjunctiva of the eye) using the PCR method (a very sensitive, specific and rapid diagnostic method) has been used to diagnose herpes infection.
The detection of the virus in the patient's blood using PCR is used to diagnose cytomegalovirus infection and monitor the effectiveness of antiviral treatment.
Direct quantitative determination of HIV RNA by PCR allows more accurate prediction of the rate of disease progression in HIV-infected individuals than determination of CD4+ cell counts, and therefore more accurate assessment of their survival. High viral particle counts usually correlate with severe immune impairment and low CD4+ cell counts.
