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Detection of Microorganisms in Clinical Sonicated Orthopedic Devices Using Conventional Culture and qPCR

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for 16S rDNA gene screening using sonicated fluid from orthopedic implants.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on 73 sonicated fluids obtained from patients with infection associated with orthopedic implants. The samples were subjected to conventional culture and molecular testing using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and qPCR for 16S rDNA. The cycle threshold values were used to define a cut-off of the qPCR of the 16S rDNA for negative and positive cultures.

Results

No statistical differences were observed between the positive and negative culture groups based on the time from the first surgery to infection (p= 0.958), age (p =0.269), or general comorbidities. Nevertheless, a statistical difference was found between the mean duration of antibiotic use before device removal (3.41 versus 0.94; p =0.016). Bacterial DNA was identified in every sample from the sonicated fluids. The median cycle thresholds of the positive and negative cultures were of 25.6 and 27.3 respectively (p< 0.001). As a diagnostic tool, a cycle threshold cut-off of 26.89 demonstrated an area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic of 0.877 (p≤ 0.001).

Conclusion

The presence of antimicrobial agents for more than 72 hours decreased culture positivity, but did not influence the qPCR results. Despite this, amplification of the 16S rDNA may overestimate infection diagnosis.

Keywords
sonication; infections; qPCR; spectrometry; mass; matrix-sssisted laser desorption-ionization; prostheses and implants

Resumo

Objetivo

Avaliar a sensibilidade e a especificidade da reação em cadeia de polimerase em tempo real quantitativa (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, qPCR, em inglês) para a triagem do gene rDNA 16S, com a utilização do fluido sonicado de implantes ortopédicos.

Métodos

Um estudo retrospectivo foi realizado em 73 fluidos sonicados obtidos de pacientes com infecção associada aos implantes ortopédicos. As amostras foram submetidas a cultura convencional e a teste molecular utilizando ionização e dessorção a laser assistida por matriz com espectrometria de massa por tempo de voo (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, MALDI-TOF MS, em inglês) e qPCR para o gene rDNA 16S. Os valores limiares do ciclo foram usados para definir um ponto de corte para a qPCR do gene rDNA 16S para culturas negativas e positivas.

Resultados

Não foram observadas diferenças estatísticas entre os grupos de cultura positiva e negativa com base no tempo desde a primeira cirurgia até a infecção (p= 0,958), na idade (p= 0,269), ou nas comorbidades em geral. No entanto, uma diferença estatística foi encontrada entre a duração média do uso de antibióticos antes da remoção do dispositivo (3,41 versus 0,94; p= 0,016). O DNA bacteriano foi identificado em todas as amostras dos fluidos sonicados. Os limiares do ciclo médio de culturas positivas e negativas foram de 25,6 e 27,3, respectivamente (p< 0,001). Como uma ferramenta de diagnóstico, um corte do limite do ciclo de 26,89 demonstrou uma área sob a curva da característica de operação do receptor de 0,877 (p ≤ 0,001).

Conclusão

A presença de agentes antimicrobianos por mais de 72 horas diminuiu a positividade da cultura, mas não influenciou os resultados da qPCR. Apesar disso, a amplificação do rDNA 16S pode sobrestimar o diagnóstico de infecção.

Palavras-chave
sonicação; infecções; qPCR; espectrometria de massas por ionização e dessorção a laser assistida por matriz; próteses e implantes

Introduction

Orthopedic implant-associated infections (OIAIs) and periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are associated with high morbidity, mortality, and costs.11 Trampuz A, Piper KE, Jacobson MJ. et al. Sonication of removed hip and knee prostheses for diagnosis of infection. N Engl J Med 2007; 357 (07) 654-663 Biofilm-associated microorganisms are the main etiological agents of OIAIs and PJIs, including Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and some species of Enterobacterales.22 Zhao L, Ashraf MA. Influence of Silver-hydroxyapatite Nanocomposite Coating on Biofilm Formation of Joint Prosthesis and Its Mechanism. West Indian Med J 2015; 64 (05) 506-513,33 Boles BR, Horswill AR. Staphylococcal biofilm disassembly. Trends Microbiol 2011; 19 (09) 449-455 The structure of biofilms develops after an initial attachment of microorganisms to a substratum, wherein the microorganisms adhere irreversibly to the surface and produce extracellular polymers, forming a structural matrix that plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of OIAIs and PJIs.44 Marques SC, das Graças Oliveira Silva Rezende J, de Freitas Alves LA. et al. Formation of biofilms by Staphylococcus aureus on stainless steel and glass surfaces and its resistance to some selected chemical sanitizers. Braz J Microbiol 2007; 38 (03) 538-543 Biofilm formation is not only prevalent in prosthetic devices; it also occurs in bone and/or bone cement, synovial fluid, and fibrous tissue.55 Stoodley P, Conti SF, DeMeo PJ. et al. Characterization of a mixed MRSA/MRSE biofilm in an explanted total ankle arthroplasty. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2011; 62 (01) 66-74

The accurate diagnosis and early identification of infectious agents are vital for a successful treatment. Multiple cultures of the periimplant tissue are the gold standard for microbial detection in OIAI and PJI.66 Atkins BL, Athanasou N, Deeks JJ. et al; The OSIRIS Collaborative Study Group. Prospective evaluation of criteria for microbiological diagnosis of prosthetic-joint infection at revision arthroplasty. J Clin Microbiol 1998; 36 (10) 2932-2939,77 Osmon DR, Berbari EF, Berendt AR. et al; Infectious Diseases Society of America. Diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infection: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis 2013; 56 (01) e1-e25 However, this method has low sensitivity, with only 62% of detection of the infectious bacteria,66 Atkins BL, Athanasou N, Deeks JJ. et al; The OSIRIS Collaborative Study Group. Prospective evaluation of criteria for microbiological diagnosis of prosthetic-joint infection at revision arthroplasty. J Clin Microbiol 1998; 36 (10) 2932-2939,88 Dudareva M, Barrett L, Figtree M. et al. Sonication versus Tissue Sampling for Diagnosis of Prosthetic Joint and Other Orthopedic Device-Related Infections. J Clin Microbiol 2018; 56 (12) e00688-e00718 and requires at least 24 hours until the microbial growth can be assessed.99 Moran E, Byren I, Atkins BL. The diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infections. J Antimicrob Chemother 2010; 65 (Suppl. 03) iii45-iii54 Additionally, conventional culture is associated with false-negative results in low-grade infections or in patients undergoing antimicrobial treatment.1010 Zimmerli W, Trampuz A, Ochsner PE. Prosthetic-joint infections. N Engl J Med 2004; 351 (16) 1645-1654 However, implant sonication, which dislodges the biofilm from the device, increases the culture sensitivity when compared with periimplant tissue biopsy or culture.11 Trampuz A, Piper KE, Jacobson MJ. et al. Sonication of removed hip and knee prostheses for diagnosis of infection. N Engl J Med 2007; 357 (07) 654-663

Modern techniques, such as molecular testing, have redefined the methods of microbiological investigation. Several techniques have been described for the molecular examination of sonicated fluids, with the aim of improving the diagnostic sensitivity or detection of periprosthetic infection.1111 Tunney MM, Patrick S, Curran MD. et al. Detection of prosthetic hip infection at revision arthroplasty by immunofluorescence microscopy and PCR amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. J Clin Microbiol 1999; 37 (10) 3281-3290

12 Achermann Y, Vogt M, Leunig M, Wüst J, Trampuz A. Improved diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection by multiplex PCR of sonication fluid from removed implants. J Clin Microbiol 2010; 48 (04) 1208-1214

13 Gomez E, Cazanave C, Cunningham SA. et al. Prosthetic joint infection diagnosis using broad-range PCR of biofilms dislodged from knee and hip arthroplasty surfaces using sonication. J Clin Microbiol 2012; 50 (11) 3501-3508

14 Cazanave C, Greenwood-Quaintance KE, Hanssen AD. et al. Rapid molecular microbiologic diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection. J Clin Microbiol 2013; 51 (07) 2280-2287
-1515 Ryu SY, Greenwood-Quaintance KE, Hanssen AD, Mandrekar JN, Patel R. Low sensitivity of periprosthetic tissue PCR for prosthetic knee infection diagnosis. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 79 (04) 448-453 For instance, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), broad-range 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) PCR, or multiplex PCR, offer significant advantages in the detection of active as well as non-viable microorganisms (even in cases in which antibiotics were administered before sampling).1616 Dora C, Altwegg M, Gerber C, Böttger EC, Zbinden R. Evaluation of conventional microbiological procedures and molecular genetic techniques for diagnosis of infections in patients with implanted orthopedic devices. J Clin Microbiol 2008; 46 (02) 824-825 However, the results can be controversial due to DNA contamination (while detecting mixed infections) when using broad-range PCR, but they are less controversial with multiplex PCR.1717 Onsea J, Depypere M, Govaert G. et al. Accuracy of Tissue and Sonication Fluid Sampling for the Diagnosis of Fracture-Related Infection: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal. J Bone Jt Infect 2018; 3 (04) 173-181 In addition, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been used in various settings for the direct detection of biological samples for the early and reliable identification of the microorganisms, as an alternative to culture.1818 Chen JH, Ho PL, Kwan GS. et al. Direct bacterial identification in positive blood cultures by use of two commercial matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry systems. J Clin Microbiol 2013; 51 (06) 1733-1739

19 Bazzi AM, Rabaan AA, El Edaily Z, John S, Fawarah MM, Al-Tawfiq JA. Comparison among four proposed direct blood culture microbial identification methods using MALDI-TOF MS. J Infect Public Health 2017; 10 (03) 308-315
-2020 Barberino MG, Silva MO, Arraes ACP, Correia LC, Mendes AV. Direct identification from positive blood broth culture by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Braz J Infect Dis 2017; 21 (03) 339-342

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to screen the 16S rDNA gene from the sonicated fluid samples obtained from orthopedic implants.

Methods

Setting

The present was a single-center, retrospective study following the implementation of a sonication method after orthopedic surgery. The study evaluated a period of 12 months (from December 2018 to December 2019) in a tertiary care, medical, surgical, and academic teaching hospital with a capacity of 206 beds. The hospital is a referral center for trauma patients, admitting approximately 1,100 inpatients, with 4,800 patient-days per month.

Patients and Devices

Different types of orthopedic devices were obtained under surgical conditions after medical recommendation (suspicion of infection). Infection criteria met the definitions of the International Consensus Group on Periprosthetic Joint and of the International Consensus Meeting on musculoskeletal infection.2121 Parvizi J, Gehrke T. Procedings of the Second International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection. Brooklandville, Maryland: Data Tracer Publishing Company; 2018,2222 Parvizi J, Gehrke T. International Consensus Group on Periprosthetic Joint Infection. Definition of periprosthetic joint infection. J Arthroplasty 2014; 29 (07) 1331 Patients with external fixation devices were excluded from the study. Clinical data were evaluated for a group analysis.

Sonication of the Orthopedic Devices

All explanted devices were placed into sterile and nuclease-free polyethylene sampling bags with a removable seal and a wire closure system (Labplas, Sainte-Julie, Quebec, Canada), and immediately sent for sonication. The sonication was performed in a 0.9% NaCl solution in an amount sufficient to cover the device; the solution was sonicated for 5 min in an ultrasonic bath using a Soniclean 15 (Sanders Medical, Santa Rita da Sapucaí, MG, Brazil) at a frequency of approximately 40 kHz and 35°C.11 Trampuz A, Piper KE, Jacobson MJ. et al. Sonication of removed hip and knee prostheses for diagnosis of infection. N Engl J Med 2007; 357 (07) 654-663 One aliquot was used for microbiological tests, and 50-mL aliquots were stored at -20°C for molecular tests. In total, 39 samples with bacterial growth (detected by conventional culture) and 34 samples without bacterial growth were used.

Laboratory Tests

For the conventional culture, 100 μL of the sonicated fluid were spread onto tryptic soy agar plates supplemented with 5% sheep blood and MacConkey agar (Laborclin, Pinhais, PR, Brazil), and incubated for 5 days at 35°C. The anaerobic culture was performed for 14 days in a standard anaerobic medium (Bactec, BD, Franklin Lakes, NJ, US). Colony growth was evaluated using a direct detection protocol with MALDI-TOF MS.

Direct detection of microorganisms using MALDI-TOF MS was performed on the Vitek MS equipment (bioMérièux, Durham, NC, US). The sample-extraction process was adapted from a previously-described protocol.2323 Ferreira L, Sánchez-Juanes F, González-Avila M. et al. Direct identification of urinary tract pathogens from urine samples by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. J Clin Microbiol 2010; 48 (06) 2110-2115 Briefly, 4 mL of the sonication fluid were centrifuged at 367 × g for 5 minutes, and the pellet obtained was washed with deionized water. The pellet was resuspended in 50 μL of deionized water, followed by the addition of 900 μL of absolute alcohol. After vortexing, the tube was centrifuged at 18,000 × g for 2 minutes, and the supernatant was discarded. A total of 50 µL of formic acid (70% v/v) and 50 μL of acetonitrile were added to the pellet. After vortexing, the tube was centrifuged at 18,000 × g for 2 minutes. Then, 1 μL of the supernatant was spotted directly onto the target plate. After drying, each inoculum was covered with 1 μL of the alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (HCCA) matrix solution (bioMérièux). After drying, the samples were analyzed on the VITEK MS system. Quality control was performed using a reference strain of Escherichia coli ATCC 8739. All procedures were performed in duplicate.

Microbial genomic DNA (gDNA) was detected by performing qPCR for the 16S rDNA gene screening (broad-range qPCR). Microbial DNA was extracted using the PureLink Genomic DNA Mini Kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, US) according to the manufacturer's instructions, using 1 mL of the sonication fluid, and 50 μL of DNA were extracted. For the molecular detection of 16S rDNA, the TaqMan Universal PCR Master Mix (Applied Biosystems, Inc., Foster City, CA, US) was used; the detection was adapted from a previously-described protocol,2424 Yang S, Lin S, Kelen GD. et al. Quantitative multiprobe PCR assay for simultaneous detection and identification to species level of bacterial pathogens. J Clin Microbiol 2002; 40 (09) 3449-3454 using forward and reverse primers, and a probe with the following sequences: 5'-TGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTCGA-3', 5'-TGCGGGACTTAACCCAACA-3', and (CY5)-5'-CACGAGCTGACGACARCCATGCA-3'-(BHQ2).2525 Tasca Ribeiro VS, Tuon FF, Kraft L. et al. Conventional culture method and qPCR using 16S rDNA for tissue bank: a comparison using a model of cardiac tissue contamination. J Med Microbiol 2018; 67 (11) 1571-1575 The reaction was performed in triplicate for each sample, using 12.5 μL of the TaqMan Universal PCR Master Mix, 8.7 μL of ultrapure water, 0.6 μL of each primer (forward and reverse; 20 mM), 0.6 μL of probe (10 mM), and 2 μL of DNA, with a total volume of 25 μL per well. Furthermore, no template controls (NTC, using water instead of DNA) and positive controls were included, and the reactions were run on the ABI-7500 Fast real-time PCR instrument (Applied Biosystems, Inc.) using the following steps: 50°C for 2 minutes, 95°C for 10 minutes, 40 cycles of 95°C for 15 seconds, and 60°C for 1 minute.

Standard curves using Gram-negative bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (Laborclin), and Gram-positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (Laborclin) were generated for 16S rDNA to determine the efficiency and analytical sensitivity of the assay. Briefly, the saline solution was inoculated with S. aureus and P. aeruginosa at progressive dilutions, from 108 to 102 CFU/mL (performed in triplicate), to determine the standard curve. The cycle threshold (Ct) values were used to calculate the performance of 16S rDNA qPCR. The last three concentrations detected in the standard curve (102± 1) were amplified with 30 repetitions to define the limit of detection (LOD), which must amplify 100% of molecular targets to ensure minimal detection with a 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Dilutions were made before each experiment. The standard curve was plotted from the Cq × log10 plot of target gene concentration/reaction based on the determination of the copy number of the 16S gene in S. aureus and P. aeruginosa strains. After the linear regression of the obtained points, R2 and the equation of a straight line (y = mx + n) were determined using the following equation:

Cq = slope x log (n) + y-intercept,

in which: Cq = cycle of quantification;

slope = angular coefficient of the line;

log (n) = logarithmic base 10 of the gene copies per reaction; and

y-intercept = linear coefficient.

Statistical Analysis

The continuous variables were expressed as means with standard deviations (SDs), and they were analyzed using the Student t-test. The categorical variables were expressed as absolute frequencies and proportions, and they were analyzed using the Chi-squared or Fisher tests. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated using the culture as a reference (culture-positive infection versus Culture-negative infection). The Ct was determined to improve the accuracy of the PCR using the cultures as the gold standard. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to quantify the discriminative ability of the qPCR. The statistical significance was set at p< 0.05. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US) software was used for the statistical analysis.

Results

General Characteristics

In total, 148 sonicated fluids were collected. The clinical characteristics were present in 132 samples (52 positive cultures; 80 negative cultures). However, 59 stored samples could not be recovered for the qPCR. Thus, 73 sonicated fluids were included in the final analysis.

The median age was 54 years (range: 39 to 64 years) and 68.4% of patients (n = 50) were male. The median time between the first surgical procedure and infection was of 220 days (range: 30.5 to 962 days). The sonicated implants consisted of parts of the prosthesis (hip and knee) and fixation devices (screws, plates, wires, and pins). The main comorbidities were arterial hypertension (n=30; 41%), trauma (n=27; 36.9%), and diabetes mellitus (n=11; 15%). Before samples were collected, 30 patients (41%) received antimicrobial therapy. The main clinical characteristics of the patients are listed in Table 1.

Table 1
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with infection and negative or positive cultures of sonicated orthopedic devices

Cultures and Etiologies

Using the conventional culture method, 39 samples (53.5%) were found positive. Infections due to Staphylococcus spp. were found in 64% (n = 25) samples. Of these, 68% (n = 17) were due to methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), and 28% (n = 7) were due to methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Gram-negative bacilli (GNBs) were present in 25.6% (n = 10) of the samples, mainly nonfermenting GNBs, such as P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 4). Mixed infections (polymicrobial) were found in 10% (n = 4) of the cases. The major etiologies are listed in Table 2.

Table 2
Etiology of positive cultures from sonicated orthopedic devices from patients with infection

There were no statistical differences between the positive and negative groups based on the time from the first surgery to infection (p= 0.958), age (p =0.269), or general comorbidities. Nevertheless, a statistical difference was found between the mean duration of the antibiotic intake before device removal (3.41 versus 0.94; p =0.016) (Table 1).

16S rDNA qPCR

Bacterial DNA was identified in all samples from sonicated fluids, regardless of the culture results. The median Ct values of the positive and negative cultures was of 25.6 and 27.3 respectively (p< 0.001), and those of S. aureus and GNBs were of 25.07 ± 2.97 and 23.53 ± 3.31 respectively (p= 0.123). As a diagnostic tool, a Ct cut-off of 26.89 demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC of 0.877 (p≤ 0.001) (Fig. 1). The Ct cut-off values are listed in Table 3.

Table 3
Positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of different cycle threshold (Ct) values, considering culture positive infections versus culture negative infections

Fig. 1
Receiver operating characteristic curve of the cycle threshold of 26.9 to separate positive and negative cultures from the sonicated fluid of orthopedic devices.

In general, we observed that samples from patients who received antimicrobial therapy for more than 3 days before the surgical procedure were more likely to result in negative cultures (p= 0.016). However, the 16S rDNA qPCR was positive in all samples, even in patients with negative culture results. Further, the use of the Ct cut-off of 26.89 as a diagnostic tool demonstrated an AUC of 0.877 (p≤ 0.001).

Discussion

Despite the progress made in the diagnosis of infections associated with orthopedic implants, tissue culture remains the gold-standard tool. Therefore, the standard criteria to diagnose PJI are closely related to the type and number of samples collected. Although cultures from pus may present higher sensitivity than that of other samples, no single tissue sample is reliable regarding the PJI criteria.2626 Walker LC, Clement ND, Wilson I, Hashmi M, Samuel J, Deehan DJ. The Importance Of Multi-site Intra-operative Tissue Sampling In The Diagnosis Of Hip And Knee Periprosthetic Joint Infection - Results From A Single Centre Study. J Bone Jt Infect 2020; 5 (03) 151-159 Thus, multiple cultures are traditionally needed to achieve a higher sensitivity. Additionally, culture positivity is directly influenced by the growth medium used. Samples inoculated directly in blood culture during the surgical procedure yielded results within 48 to 72 hours, with a sensitivity comparable to that of the conventional methods.2727 Sanabria A, Røkeberg MEO, Johannessen M, Sollid JE, Simonsen GS, Hanssen AM. Culturing periprosthetic tissue in BacT/Alert® Virtuo blood culture system leads to improved and faster detection of prosthetic joint infections. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19 (01) 607,2828 Duployez C, Wallet F, Migaud H, Senneville E, Loiez C. Culturing Periprosthetic Tissues in BacT/Alert® Virtuo Blood Culture Bottles for a Short Duration of Post-operative Empirical Antibiotic Therapy. J Bone Jt Infect 2020; 5 (03) 145-150 However, even with improved sample collection, inoculation, and processing methods such as sonication, the presence of antimicrobial agents at the surgical site for more than three days before the procedure reduces culture positivity.

Given the difficulties associated with the clinical management of PJI, cultures may not always be obtained in the absence of antibiotics. Thus, molecular tools, such as the PCR, may be advantageous compared to traditional culture techniques, once DNA can be amplified during the early clinical treatment phase.1616 Dora C, Altwegg M, Gerber C, Böttger EC, Zbinden R. Evaluation of conventional microbiological procedures and molecular genetic techniques for diagnosis of infections in patients with implanted orthopedic devices. J Clin Microbiol 2008; 46 (02) 824-825 However, depending on the molecular technique, specificity may decrease due to contamination.1717 Onsea J, Depypere M, Govaert G. et al. Accuracy of Tissue and Sonication Fluid Sampling for the Diagnosis of Fracture-Related Infection: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal. J Bone Jt Infect 2018; 3 (04) 173-181 In the present study, all samples were positive for 16S rDNA. Once this technique amplifies any bacterial gene, it is probable that it will present low specificity when used indiscriminately and broadly used. However, when advanced molecular tests, such as 16S rRNA or next-generation sequencing, are used according to clinical and laboratory criteria, they may present benefits.2929 Cai Y, Fang X, Chen Y. et al. Metagenomic next generation sequencing improves diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection by detecting the presence of bacteria in periprosthetic tissues. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 96: 573-578,3030 Kuo FC, Lu YD, Wu CT, You HL, Lee GB, Lee MS. Comparison of molecular diagnosis with serum markers and synovial fluid analysis in patients with prosthetic joint infection. Bone Joint J 2018; 100-B (10) 1345-1351 Interestingly, compared to traditional methods, 16S rRNA failed to identify polymicrobial infection.3030 Kuo FC, Lu YD, Wu CT, You HL, Lee GB, Lee MS. Comparison of molecular diagnosis with serum markers and synovial fluid analysis in patients with prosthetic joint infection. Bone Joint J 2018; 100-B (10) 1345-1351 Therefore, given the complexities that arise during the evaluation of orthopedic infections (such as misdiagnosed infections and contaminations), a combination of techniques is important to reach a final diagnosis.3131 Stylianakis A, Schinas G, Thomaidis PC. et al. Combination of conventional culture, vial culture, and broad-range PCR of sonication fluid for the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2018; 92 (01) 13-18

Tunney et al.1111 Tunney MM, Patrick S, Curran MD. et al. Detection of prosthetic hip infection at revision arthroplasty by immunofluorescence microscopy and PCR amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. J Clin Microbiol 1999; 37 (10) 3281-3290 stated that the incidence of prosthetic joint infection is grossly underestimated by current culture-detection methods, and that molecular tests should be included in the routine. Despite the recommendation, Ryu et al.1515 Ryu SY, Greenwood-Quaintance KE, Hanssen AD, Mandrekar JN, Patel R. Low sensitivity of periprosthetic tissue PCR for prosthetic knee infection diagnosis. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 79 (04) 448-453 confirmed that PCR presents a low sensitivity, but high specificity. Thus, for the etiological diagnosis, we can conclude that PCR may not be the ideal test, but a negative test excludes the presence of infection. In contrast, Gomez et al.1313 Gomez E, Cazanave C, Cunningham SA. et al. Prosthetic joint infection diagnosis using broad-range PCR of biofilms dislodged from knee and hip arthroplasty surfaces using sonication. J Clin Microbiol 2012; 50 (11) 3501-3508 reported that PCR is equivalent to culture. We believe that these inconsistent results may be associated with the in-house method used for the qPCR. Unfortunately, the methods used in each study cannot be compared directly.

Improving diagnostic tools is necessary to establish the correct treatment and decrease therapy failure. Once S. aureus, mainly MRSA, has been associated with poor prognosis in PJI,3232 Shohat N, Goswami K, Tan TL. et al. ESCMID Study Group of Implant Associated Infections (ESGIAI) and the Northern Infection Network of Joint Arthroplasty (NINJA). 2020 Frank Stinchfield Award: Identifying who will fail following irrigation and debridement for prosthetic joint infection. Bone Joint J 2020; 102-B (7_Supple_B): 11-19 choosing the correct antimicrobial therapy (such as those with anti-biofilm properties) may be considered a treatment cornerstone. Future studies should explore the applicability of molecular tools in patients at a higher risk of treatment failure (such as those with immunosuppression) with a negative culture, despite clinical and laboratory results suggesting the presence of an infection.

The present study has some limitations. First, given the retrospective design, the “suspicion of infection” may have been overestimated. Second, after two to three years, the clinical outcomes were not evaluated to establish the significance of 16S rDNA positivity in patients with negative cultures. Still, the present study highlights the importance of adequate sample collection and the role of specialized laboratory techniques performed by an infectious disease expert. The 16S rDNA qPCR cannot identify the species; it is only used to identify the presence or absence of bacterial DNA. The test should be complemented with gene sequencing to identify the species.

  • Financial Support
    This study was supported by a grant of the MCTIC/CNPq, number 28/2018, level B.

References

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  • 2
    Zhao L, Ashraf MA. Influence of Silver-hydroxyapatite Nanocomposite Coating on Biofilm Formation of Joint Prosthesis and Its Mechanism. West Indian Med J 2015; 64 (05) 506-513
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    Boles BR, Horswill AR. Staphylococcal biofilm disassembly. Trends Microbiol 2011; 19 (09) 449-455
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    Marques SC, das Graças Oliveira Silva Rezende J, de Freitas Alves LA. et al. Formation of biofilms by Staphylococcus aureus on stainless steel and glass surfaces and its resistance to some selected chemical sanitizers. Braz J Microbiol 2007; 38 (03) 538-543
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    Stoodley P, Conti SF, DeMeo PJ. et al. Characterization of a mixed MRSA/MRSE biofilm in an explanted total ankle arthroplasty. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2011; 62 (01) 66-74
  • 6
    Atkins BL, Athanasou N, Deeks JJ. et al; The OSIRIS Collaborative Study Group. Prospective evaluation of criteria for microbiological diagnosis of prosthetic-joint infection at revision arthroplasty. J Clin Microbiol 1998; 36 (10) 2932-2939
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    Osmon DR, Berbari EF, Berendt AR. et al; Infectious Diseases Society of America. Diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infection: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis 2013; 56 (01) e1-e25
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    Dudareva M, Barrett L, Figtree M. et al. Sonication versus Tissue Sampling for Diagnosis of Prosthetic Joint and Other Orthopedic Device-Related Infections. J Clin Microbiol 2018; 56 (12) e00688-e00718
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    Moran E, Byren I, Atkins BL. The diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infections. J Antimicrob Chemother 2010; 65 (Suppl. 03) iii45-iii54
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    Zimmerli W, Trampuz A, Ochsner PE. Prosthetic-joint infections. N Engl J Med 2004; 351 (16) 1645-1654
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    Tunney MM, Patrick S, Curran MD. et al. Detection of prosthetic hip infection at revision arthroplasty by immunofluorescence microscopy and PCR amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. J Clin Microbiol 1999; 37 (10) 3281-3290
  • 12
    Achermann Y, Vogt M, Leunig M, Wüst J, Trampuz A. Improved diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection by multiplex PCR of sonication fluid from removed implants. J Clin Microbiol 2010; 48 (04) 1208-1214
  • 13
    Gomez E, Cazanave C, Cunningham SA. et al. Prosthetic joint infection diagnosis using broad-range PCR of biofilms dislodged from knee and hip arthroplasty surfaces using sonication. J Clin Microbiol 2012; 50 (11) 3501-3508
  • 14
    Cazanave C, Greenwood-Quaintance KE, Hanssen AD. et al. Rapid molecular microbiologic diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection. J Clin Microbiol 2013; 51 (07) 2280-2287
  • 15
    Ryu SY, Greenwood-Quaintance KE, Hanssen AD, Mandrekar JN, Patel R. Low sensitivity of periprosthetic tissue PCR for prosthetic knee infection diagnosis. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 79 (04) 448-453
  • 16
    Dora C, Altwegg M, Gerber C, Böttger EC, Zbinden R. Evaluation of conventional microbiological procedures and molecular genetic techniques for diagnosis of infections in patients with implanted orthopedic devices. J Clin Microbiol 2008; 46 (02) 824-825
  • 17
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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    02 Sept 2022
  • Date of issue
    Jul-Aug 2022

History

  • Received
    11 Sept 2020
  • Accepted
    19 Feb 2021
  • Published
    01 Oct 2021
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