Polymerase chain reaction identification of Bordetella pertussis infections in vaccinees and family members in a pertussis vaccine efficacy trial in Germany

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was recently added to conventional culture and serology for the diagnoses of Bordetella pertussis infection in a large vaccine efficacy trial in Germany. In vaccinees or family members who had illnesses with cough, two nasopharyngeal swabs (calcium alginate for culture and Dacron for PCR) were taken and initial and follow-up clinical data were obtained. PCR was done using oligonucleotide primers PTp1 and PTp2 which amplify a 191-base pair DNA fragment of pertussis toxin operon. From December, 1993, to May, 1994, 555 pairs of swabs were processed; 28 grew B. pertussis and 9 grew B. parapertussis. Twenty-six of the 28 subjects with B. pertussis-positive cultures also had positive PCR results as did one of the 9 B. parapertussis cases and 82 additional samples were positive by PCR. PCR increased the identification of subjects with B. pertussis infections by almost 4-fold. Clinical characteristics were analyzed by laboratory category (Group 1, 28 culture-positive; Group 2, 82 culture-negative, PCR-positive; and Group 3, 436 culture- and PCR-negative). Group 1 subjects were more likely to have a diagnosis of definite or probable pertussis and to have paroxysmal cough, posttussive vomiting, whooping and a cough duration of < or = 4 weeks than Group 2 or 3 subjects. In contrast Group 2 subjects were more likely than Group 1 subjects to have had previous pertussis immunization or prior antibiotics. PCR identified many mild illnesses caused by B. pertussis that were not identified by culture.