{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,21]],"date-time":"2026-10-21T23:21:29Z","timestamp":1792624889572,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,28]],"date-time":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1690502400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Onychomycosis is an important public health problem whose prevalence continues to grow and impact public health at several levels. Nevertheless, today the main diagnostic methods used in routine practice have many drawbacks. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the clinical performance of a new multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Novaplex\u00ae) in the identification of the causative agent on nail samples, and its impact on the turnaround time, compared to our traditional laboratory methods.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>From June 2022 to December 2022, all nail samples sent to our laboratory for suspected onychomycosis were included in this prospective study. We collected for each sample the results obtained with the Novaplex\u00ae PCR method and with the traditional direct microscopy examination and culture. Each discordant result was checked using a third method, which is another PCR method (DermaGenius\u00ae kit) as a resolver. For culture-positive samples, a turnaround time was calculated and compared to the one obtained with the Novaplex\u00ae method.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>A total of 131 samples were included. Among them, 5 were positive (3.8%) on direct microscopy, 33 were positive (25.2%) after culture, and 98 were negative (74.8%). All positive (n\u00a0=\u00a033) and negative (n\u00a0=\u00a069) cultures were also positive\/negative with the Novaplex\u00ae PCR. Twenty-nine samples were positive with the Novaplex\u00ae method but negative with culture (discordant results). The percentage agreement between the culture and the Novaplex\u00ae methods was 77.9% (102 out of 131). While tested with the resolver (DermaGenius\u00ae PCR), 28 out of 29 discordant results were similarly found positive. The percentage agreement between the two PCR methods (Novaplex\u00ae and DermaGenius\u00ae) was 96.6%. The Novaplex\u00ae PCR method evaluated proved to be very reliable and allowed the direct identification of 62 out of 131 positive samples (47.3%) with the following distribution: 79.0% of Trichophyton rubrum complex, 11.3% of Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex, 6.5% of both Trichophyton rubrum complex and Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex, and 3.2% of Candida albicans. The median time [\u00b1 95% CI] for positive culture (between incubation and validation of the final identification) was 15 [12\u201323] days, while the turnaround time for the Novaplex\u00ae method adapted to our clinical laboratory routine is\u00a0\u22647 days.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Laboratory confirmation of onychomycosis is crucial and should always be obtained before starting treatment. The evaluated PCR method offered a rapid, reliable, robust, and inexpensive method of identification of the causative agent compared to traditional methods.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/mmy\/myad078","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,28]],"date-time":"2023-07-28T11:06:56Z","timestamp":1690542416000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Clinical evaluation of a dermatophyte RT-PCR assay and its impact on the turn-around-time: A prospective study"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"61","author":[{"given":"Cyril","family":"Debuysschere","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, Iris Hospitals South , Brussels , Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laurent","family":"Blairon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, Iris Hospitals South , Brussels , Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Cupaiolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, Iris Hospitals South , Brussels , Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ingrid","family":"Beukinga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, Iris Hospitals South , Brussels , Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4915-1339","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marie","family":"Tr\u00e9-Hardy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, Iris Hospitals South , Brussels , Belgium"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e9 libre de Bruxelles , Brussels , Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences, University of Namur , Namur , 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