Comparison of Papanicolaou and Acridine Orange stains in the diagnosis of Trichomonasvaginalis infection in vaginal discharge

Abstract

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common cause of vaginitis. Diagnosis based on clinical presentation is often inaccurate. Clinical presentation with adjuvant laboratory evidence of trichomoniasis is required for the confirmation of the diagnosis and initiation of therapy. The aim of the present study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of rapid staining Acridine Orange method for detection of trichomonas vaginalis infection with the routinely employed Papanicolaou staining. Materials and Methods:Vaginal swab smears were prepared from 300 patients attending gynaecology outpatients' clinic of S.S.G. Hospital, Vadodara with complain of abnormal vaginal discharge. The prospective study was conducted over a period of two years (from January' 98 to December' 99). The Papanicolaou and Acridine Orange stained smears were screened for presence of Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Results:In the present study, the incidence of Trichomonas vaginalis infection was 12.3%. Considering Papanicolaou stain as standard, the sensitivity and specificity of Acridine Orange (AO) stain for detection of T. vaginalis was 92.8% and 93.01% respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 74.2% and 99.2%, while false positive and false negative values are 3% and 0.66% respectively. Conclusion:Trichomonas vaginalis infection is a sexually transmitted disease of the reproductive age group, which needs to be timely diagnosed to prevent its adverse effects. The rapidity, ease and reliability of Acridine Orange stain justify its use in routine laboratory diagnosis of Trichomonas vaginalis infection.

In vitro antiprotozoal effect of alcoholic extract of hemolymph of Galleria mellonella larva against Trichomonas gallinae

“…As a result, wet smear evaluation is considered an insensitive technique for diagnosing infection (Khatoon et al 2014). Recent reports recommended the usage of acridine orange dye to determine the viability of Trichomonas trophozoites, where it improved the ability to diagnose Trichomonas infection (Doshi 2017). Acridine orange is a non-specific nucleic acid stain that can be applied for fluorescence-based detection of Trichomonas infection.…”