Abstract: Objective To study the clinical application of polymerase chain reaction(PCR)in the detection specimens from patients with suspected deep-seated pathogenic fungal infection.Methods Sixty clinical specimens were detected with pan-fungal PCR,triplex PCR and traditional fungal culture,respectively.Results Nineteen specimens were positive by culture,consisting of 10 strains of Candida albicans,2 strains of Aspergillus fumigatus,2 strains of Cryptococcus neoformans and 5 other strains(2 strains of Candida glabrata,2 strains of Candida tropicalis and 1 strain of Candida krusei);21 were positive by pan-fungal PCR;and 15 were positive by triplex PCR,including 10 strains of Candida albicans,3 strains of Aspergillus fumigatus and 2 strains of Cryptococcus neoformans.There was no statistical significance in the detection rate of fungi between the PCR and culture methods.Conclusion The PCR procedure is rapid,convenient,and reliable for the detection of deep-seated pathogenic fungi with higher specificity and sensitivity,and may be routinely used in clinical laboratory.

Key words: Mycoses, Candida, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans, Polymerase Chain Reaction