Diagnostic value of the QuickStripe™ chlamydia rapid test among high-risk women in Jakarta.

BACKGROUND

Difficulty in diagnosing Chlamydia trachomatis infections, including chlamydial cervicitis, is a notable challenge in managing sexually transmitted infections in Indonesia. Gram staining is usually done to make a presumptive diagnosis despite its low sensitivity and specificity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is considered the gold standard, but it is costly, technically demanding, and difficult to be performed in low-resource settings. Thus, rapid point-of-care tests with high sensitivity and specificity are needed to diagnose chlamydial cervicitis.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included symptomatic and asymptomatic high-risk women in the Mulya Jaya Sex Workers Rehabilitation Center in June to July 2020. Endocervical swabs from each participant were taken for QuickStripe™ chlamydia rapid test (CRT), Gram staining, and real-time PCR.

RESULTS

A total of 41 participants were enrolled. The sensitivity and specificity for QuickStripe™ CRT were 73.6% (95% CI: 48.80%-90.85%) and 81.82% (95% CI: 59.72%-94.81%). Positive and negative predictive values were 77.78% (95% CI: 58.09%-89.84%) and 78.05% (95% CI: 62.39%-89.44%). Proportion of chlamydial cervicitis in study participants based on real-time PCR was 46.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that QuickStripe™ CRT can be recommended as an alternative diagnostic test for high-risk populations in Jakarta.