Comparison of two widely used PCR primer systems for detection of Toxoplasma in amniotic fluid, blood, and tissues

The PCR diagnosis of toxoplasmosis suffers from lack of standardization. Interlaboratory comparative studies of PCR methods have been performed, but intralaboratory comparisons are scarce. Here, we optimized and compared the technical performances of two PCR primer systems widely used for Toxoplasma detection. The differences between the two methods were visible only at low parasite concentrations (less than or equal to1 Toxoplasma genome per reaction tube). Nevertheless, when clinical samples were tested, both methods significantly differed in their technical sensitivities and specificities. Only one method appeared adequate for samples containing blood or tissue.