Abstract:

Objective To establish a rapid, sensitive and accurate method to detect Mycoplasma genitalium, and to evaluate the prevalence of M. genitalium among unlicensed prostitutes from Hezhou city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Methods A pair of primers and Taqman MGB probe were designed and synthesized for the Pa gene of M. genitalium. Standard samples were prepared with the M. genitalium type strain G37. The established Taqman MGB real time fluorescence-based PCR assay was used to detect M. genitalium in the standard samples and cervical swab specimens collected from unlicensed prostitutes in Hezhou city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Results The established Taqman MGB real time PCR exhibited a wide linear range （1 × 10 copies/μl to 1 × 106 copies/μl , R2 = 0.993）, good repeatability （intra-assay variation: 0.7%, inter-assay variation: 1.09%） and high sensitivity with the limit of detection being 10 copies/μl and limit of quantification being 50 copies/μl. As the assay showed, 12.1% of the 404 cervical swab samples were positive for M. genitalium. Conculsion The Taqman MGB real time fluorescence-based PCR is a rapid and sensitive method for the quantitative and qualitative detection of M. genitalium.

Key words: prevalence