@article{22078,
  keywords = {Bacteriological Techniques, Humans, leprosy, Molecular Diagnostic Techniques, Mycobacterium leprae, polymerase chain reaction, ROC Curve, Specimen Handling},
  author = {Aye KS and Matsuoka M and Kai M and Kyaw K and Win AA and Shwe MM and Thein M and Htoo MM and Htoon MT},
  title = {FTA card utility for PCR detection of Mycobacterium leprae.},
  abstract = {<p>The suitability of the FTA® elute card for the collection of slit skin smear (SSS) samples for PCR detection of Mycobacterium leprae was evaluated. A total of 192 SSS leprosy samples, of bacillary index (BI) 1 to 5, were collected from patients attending two skin clinics in Myanmar and preserved using both FTA® elute cards and 70% ethanol tubes. To compare the efficacy of PCR detection of DNA from each BI class, PCR was performed to amplify an M. leprae-specific repetitive element. Of the 192 samples, 116 FTA® elute card and 112 70% ethanol samples were PCR positive for M. leprae DNA. When correlated with BI, area under the curve (AUC) values of the respective receiver-operating characteristic curves were similar for the FTA® elute card and ethanol collection methods (AUC=0.6). Taken together, our results indicate that the FTA® elute card, which enables the collection, transport, and archiving of clinical samples, is an attractive alternative to ethanol preservation for the detection of M. leprae DNA.</p>},
  year = {2011},
  journal = {Japanese journal of infectious diseases},
  volume = {64},
  pages = {246-8},
  month = {2011},
  issn = {1884-2836},
  url = {http://www.nih.go.jp/niid/JJID/64/246.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/j.1744-313X.2010.00993.x},
  language = {eng},
}