Evaluation of a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay for the detection of respiratory pathogens in oncological patients

In our hands, the RespiFinder Smart22 showed excellent analytical performance while hands-on time was halved in comparison to the RT PCR method. Regarding the clinical evaluation, the MLPA method provided additional results in 22.9% (22/96) of specimens due to its comprehensive format, higher test sensitivity and the capability to detect 22 pathogens compared to 14 with the RealAccurate Respiratory RT PCR Kit.