Sexual Health | Pathology | Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests

Nucleic acid amplification tests
Session overview
Description
This session describes the common molecular methods used to diagnose sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK, focusing on Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) and Neisseria gonorrhoea (N. gonorrhoeae) as examples, to enable an understanding of the basic concepts and the caveats of different methodologies in clinical practice.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• describe how nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are performed
• define the role of NAATs in the diagnosis and management of STIs
• list the advantages of NAATs
• state the limitations of NAATs

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete:

• Module 2/Interpreting laboratory tests (260-0193)

Nucleic acid amplification tests:

• are now widely used to diagnose infections
• are able to detect extremely low levels of organisms, thereby providing much greater sensitivity than culture-based methods
• can also detect organisms that are not readily culturable. This has particular advantages given the organisms causing STIs

Another advantage is that compared to culture, NAATs are a rapid method of making a diagnosis.

This session will:

• explain the basic concept of NAATs and how they are performed
• explore the role of these tests in diagnosing and managing STIs
• highlight the advantages and limitations of these tests.