Agreement between two independent laboratories on the results Of the qualitative PCR technique for detecting Actinobacillus actinomycetem comitans NOT PRESENTED

Introduction & Aim: An accurate diagnosis is of utmost importance in order to give
each patient the best treatment possible. The development of molecular techniques to
detect the main specific microorganisms that are found in periodontal diseases has
meant a great advance as a possible diagnostic tool. The aim of this study was to set
the validity and usefulness of the qualitative PCR technique as a good and reliable
diagnostic tool.
Material and methods: Thirty patients referred to a dental school were evaluated.
Samples from the same localization and taken at the same time were sent to two
independent laboratories in order to detect specific periodontal pathogens using a
qualitative PCR technique.
Results: The preliminary results showed only 23.33 % agreement was found on the
reported results of two laboratories.
Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, we recommend to interpret the
results of qualitative PCR technique with caution in diagnosis of periodontopathic
micro-organisms. This finding confirms the other studies regarding the low validity of
qualitative PCR technique in diagnosis of periodontopathogen micro-organisms.
Keywords: PCR, Actinobacillus actinomycetem comitans, laboratories