PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - S Skidmore
AU  - M Kaye
AU  - D Bayliss
AU  - S Devendra
TI  - Validation of COBAS Taqman CT for the detection of <em>Chlamydia trachomatis</em> in vulvo-vaginal swabs
AID  - 10.1136/sti.2007.029587
DP  - 2008 Aug 01
TA  - Sexually Transmitted Infections
PG  - 277--278
VI  - 84
IP  - 4
4099  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/84/4/277.short
4100  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/84/4/277.full
SO  - Sex Transm Infect2008 Aug 01; 84
AB  - Background: Vulvo-vaginal swabs (VVSs) are not validated for use by the manufacturers of two widely used nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis. However, there is evidence that this type of swab is suitable for diagnosis.Objective: To validate the Cobas Taqman CT assay for the detection of C trachomatis in VVS.Method: Women aged 18–24 years attending a genitourinary medicine clinic were invited to take part in the study. Participants provided a self-taken VVS and the results obtained with these samples were compared with those obtained with an endocervical swab collected by a healthcare worker. A total of 267 women took part.Results: 255/267 (96%; 95% CI 92 to 98%) sets of samples gave concordant results. 12/267 (4.5%) VVSs were invalid/inhibitory and so no result was available for these samples. This compared with 2/267 (0.7%) for endocervical swabs.Conclusion: VVS are suitable samples for detecting C trachomatis.