Greiner Bio-One, a leading technology partner for the diagnostic and pharmaceutical industries, has developed a highly sensitive diagnostic kit for small and medium-sized laboratories.

The PelvoCheck CT/NG kit is especially useful for reliably testing asymptomatic patients for chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections ­ two of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It is estimated that 300,000 women in Germany suffer from chlamydia each year, while gonorrhoea affects around 60 million people worldwide.

Some 80 percent of chlamydia and 50 percent of gonorrhoea cases in women remain undiagnosed because infection does not immediately give rise to noticeable symptoms. Doctors therefore advise sexually active women with changing partners to test for these bacteria on an annual basis. For women up to the age of 25, this preventive measure is provided by health insurance companies in the form of a screening programme. The PelvoCheck CT/NG diagnostic kit from Greiner Bio-One is proven to deliver highly sensitive testing for the Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium. The PelvoCheck CT/NG is also validated for testing with pooled samples.

If an infection of this kind remains undiagnosed, it can often result in inflammation of the ovaries, fallopian tubes or cervix (pelvic inflammatory disease ­ PID) and can also lead to complications during pregnancy or even infertility. If diagnosed early, the infections can be treated successfully with antibiotics. 

During each analysis using the PelvoCheck diagnostic kit, up to 46 patient samples can be tested simultaneously for both pathogens ­ Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Samples consist of smears (cervical or vaginal) or first-void urine. The DNA is extracted with the help of the oCheck DNA extraction kit from Greiner Bio-One and reproduced using PCR. The amplification products are hybridised on the special microarray slide and analysed with the CheckScanner to produce a report specific to each patient. The clinical sensitivity and specificity of this diagnostic kit are very high. The testing kit is CE-certified in the EU for in-vitro diagnostics and approved for screening programmes in line with international regulations.

PelvoCheck® is part of the oCheck® product range from Greiner Bio-One GmbH.

more about greiner bio-one

more news from greiner bio-one