Multiplex Vaginal Panel Identifies Three Distinct Conditions in One Hour

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 22 Nov 2022

Image: The Xpert Xpress MVP PCR test aids in faster identification of three distinct conditions within an hour (Photo courtesy of Cepheid)

Each year, about 10 million healthcare visits by women in the U.S. are related to vaginitis symptoms. Diagnosis of vaginitis is often made through a clinical examination where the physician will prescribe a treatment regimen that may not be targeted to the patients' specific infection type. Sequential treatment failures prolong patient suffering and increase the potential for antimicrobial resistance. Since the causative agents are from three distinct pathogen classes, but present with similar symptoms, a precise diagnosis afforded by multiplexed PCR testing can enable more targeted and timely treatments. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of the vaginitis/vaginosis syndrome, but vaginitis can also be caused by Trichomonas and yeasts such as Candida. Antibiotic use is a major factor responsible for Candida overgrowth, so identifying the underlying infection is critical to decrease the overuse of antibiotics. The rate of BV recurrence after therapy is high, often greater than 60%, and compared to a molecular test, empiric approaches can miss 45.3% of positive cases and incorrectly identify 12.3% of negative cases as positives.

Now, a new multiplexed PCR test detects DNA from organisms associated with three distinct conditions – BV, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and trichomoniasis – from a single sample, aiding in more accurate diagnosis and antibiotic treatment regimens. Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) has launched Xpert Xpress MVP which aids clinicians in the detection of these infections, including co-occurrences from a single sample with a detection time within 60 minutes, significantly narrowing the test-to-treatment gap and better supporting patient outcomes.

"Misdiagnosis of the specific underlying causes of vaginitis and vaginosis often lead to inappropriate and ineffective treatments and, in some cases, an increased risk of developing serious complications and antibiotic resistant organisms," said David Persing, M.D., Ph.D., EVP, and Chief Scientific Officer. "With the addition of the MVP to our growing women's health portfolio, physicians can quickly and accurately identify their patient's infection and prescribe the correct treatment regimen, with the goal of avoiding multiple office visits associated with therapeutic failure."

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