Lab Dept:

Microbiology/Virology

Test Name:

UREAPLASMA PCR

General Information

Lab Order Codes:

UREP

Synonyms:

PCR, Ureaplasma urealyticum: Ureaplasma PCR

CPT Codes:

87798 – Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA), amplified probe technique

Test Includes:

Rapid, sensitive PCR analysis of submitted specimen for detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum reported as positive or negative.

Logistics

Lab Testing Sections:

Microbiology – Sendouts

Referred to:

Mayo Medical Laboratories (Test# 60758/URRP)

Phone Numbers:

MIN Lab: 612-813-5866

STP Lab: 651-220-6555

Test Availability:

Daily, 24 hours

Turnaround Time:

1 – 7 days

Special Instructions:

Specimen site and date/time of collection are required for specimen processing.

Specimen

Specimen Type:

Urine

Fluids: Amniotic Fluid, Prostatic Secretions, Respiratory Specimens (<3 months old), Semen, Reproductive Drainage/fluid or Synovial Fluid

Swab Specimens: Cervix, Urethra, Vagina

See Collection for detailed information

Container:

Sterile container or transport swabs
Note: Wooden shaft, cotton swabs are not acceptable.

Draw Volume:

Urine: 10 mL (Minimum: 2 mL)

Fluids: 2 mL (Minimum: 1 mL)

Other specimen types are collected with transport swabs.

Collection:

Swab specimens: Do not collect specimens on wooden shaft swabs because the shaft is toxic to these organisms.

Cervical, Vagina, or Urethral Specimens:
1. Obtain specimen from infected site.
2. Collect vaginal or throat specimen by swabbing back and forth over the mucosa to maximize recovery of cells. Collect urethra and cervical specimen by inserting swab 1 cm to 3 cm and rotating 360 degrees.
3. Place the swab back into the swab cylinder.
4. Deliver to Laboratory immediately.

Lab Staff:
1. Write the specimen source on the label.
2. Send specimen refrigerated. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Urine: Clean catch, Mid-stream specimen:

Males:
1. Clean glans with soap and water.
2. Rinse area with wet gauze pads.
3. While holding foreskin retracted, collect the first 2-10 mL from urine stream in a sterile container.
4. Send specimen to lab.

Lab Staff:
1. Maintain sterility, refrigerate specimen and forward promptly.

Females:
1. Thoroughly clean urethral area with soap and water.
2. Rinse area with wet gauze pads.
3. While holding labia apart, collect the first 2-10 mL from urine stream in a sterile container.
4. Send specimen to lab.

Lab Staff:
1. Maintain sterility, refrigerated specimen and forward promptly.

Amniotic Fluid, Prostatic Secretions, Respiratory Specimens (<3 months old), Semen, Reproductive Drainage/fluid or Synovial Fluid:

1. Collect 2 mL specimen in a sterile container and deliver to laboratory immediately.

Lab Staff:
1. Write the specimen source on the label.
2. Send specimen refrigerated. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Transport/Storage:

Transport to the laboratory immediately at refrigerated temperature. Specimen source is required.

Note: Swabs and Fluids stored in M5 transport media will be accepted and tested, but the preferred specimen is the direct specimen without transport media.

Sample Rejection:

Specimen not submitted in appropriate transport container; improperly labeled specimen; insufficient volume; external contamination; warm specimens. If an unacceptable specimen is received, the physician or nursing station will be notified and another specimen will be requested before the specimen is discarded.

Interpretive

Reference Range:

Negative (reported as positive or negative) for Ureaplasma urealyticum
Negative (reported as positive or negative) for Ureaplasma parvum

Limitations:

Interfering substances may affect the accuracy of this assay; results should always be interpreted in conjunction with clinical and epidemiological findings.

Methodology:

Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Using LightCycler and Fluorescent Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)

Additional Info:

Formally known as Mycoplasma T-stain, Ureaplasma urealyticum plays a role in some male and female genital tract disease and infertility problems. It can infect the lungs of infants because of the birth process and may be found in products of stillbirth and spontaneous abortion. U. urealyticum has been recovered from the bloodstream of women with postpartum fever. It may be associated with pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. This organism is also present in the upper respiratory tract and genital tract of healthy and sexually inactive individuals, which complicates the interpretation of its significance. Nevertheless, Ureaplasma urealyticum has been associated with cases of nongonococcal urethritis.

References:

Mayo Medical Laboratories Web Page March 2013

Updates:

3/25/2013: Ureaplasma urealiticum and Ureaplasma parvum not reported individually.