Comparison of Gram Stain, DNA Probe, and Culture for the Identification of Species of Mobiluncus in Female Genital Specimens

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Abstract
The detection of species of Mobiluncus in female genital specimens by DNA probe (with whole-chromosomal bacterial DNA), culture, and gram stain were compared by using specimens obtained from hospital patients, college students, and women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic. Culture purification and speciation required an average of 37 days to complete, whereas the DNA-probe assay required five days. Gram stain was also rapid but did not allow speciation. There was 100% correlation between species identification by DNA probe and by conventional biochemical tests. Gram stain alone detected 90% of the samples that were positive by any method, whereas culture detected 77%–83% and DNA probe detected 52%–83%.