Development of a Gene Chip for the Detection of Common Pathogens Causing Urogenital Sexually Transmitted Infections

Objective To develop a gene chip for the detection of common pathogens causing urogenital sexually transmitted infections. Methods The target pathogens were divided into three groups: viruses, bacteria, and lower eukaryotes. Three pairs of universal primers were designed and applied to amplify the target genes of these different pathogens in one PCR reaction system. The gene chips were then prepared via immobilization of the specific probes onto specially treated glass slides. Finally, the labeled amplicons were hybridized with the gene chips, scanned and analyzed using computer software. Results Amplicons were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. The fluorescence signals for specific pathogens could be recognized in the gene chips, and were identical with the positions of the specific probes. Conclusions Gene chip is a specific, sensitive and rapid method for simultaneous detection of multiple sexually transmitted infections.