Comparison of the urine Leukocyte Esterase Test to a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test for screening non-health care-seeking male soldiers for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections

Mil Med. 2007 Jul;172(7):770-2. doi: 10.7205/milmed.172.7.770.

Abstract

We evaluated the Leukocyte Esterase Test (LET) as a screening tool by testing urine from 1,438 non-health care-seeking male Army basic trainees with LET and a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test. Compared to Nucleic Acid Amplification Test results, LET sensitivity and specificity for detection of chlamydia and gonorrhea were 45.8% and 97.4%, and 60.0% and 96.2%, respectively. The prevalence of chlamydia and gonorrhea was 3.3% and 0.3%, respectively. In this population, the prevalence of gonorrhea was too low to produce reliable estimates of performance characteristics of the LET for gonorrhea. The LET is not warranted for use in screening non-health care-seeking male Army trainees.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chlamydia Infections / diagnosis*
  • Chlamydia trachomatis / isolation & purification*
  • Gonorrhea / diagnosis*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mass Screening*
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Personnel
  • Neisseria gonorrhoeae / isolation & purification*
  • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques*
  • United States