This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Mary-Ann Shafer, MD; Julius Schachter, PhD; Anna Barbara Moscicki, MD; Anna Weiss, PhD; Janet Shalwitz, MD; Elaine Vaughan, PhD; Susan G. Millstein, PhD

JAMA. 1989;262(18):2562-2566.

Abstract
We evaluated the ability of the urinary leukocyte esterase test to predict culture-verified chlamydial and gonococcal urethritis among asymptomatic adolescent males. Nine hundred forty-eight sexually active males provided first-catch urine samples for esterase screening, and 76 (8%) tested positive (1 + ). Among 435 boys who agreed to undergo urethral culture, the esterase was positive in 66 (15%), Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 39 (9%), and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from 14 (3%). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the esterase test were 72%, 93%, and 58% and 96%, respectively. Using the esterase test to screen asymptomatic males for urethritis, we identified 38 culture-verified infections that otherwise would have remained undetected. The urinary leukocyte esterase test is a noninvasive and cost-effective screening method to detect urethritis among asymptomatic adolescent males.

(JAMA. 1989;262:2562-2566)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (Drs Shafer, Moscicki, Weiss, Vaughan, and Millstein); the Department of Laboratory Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital (Dr Schachter); and Forensic Youth Medical/Psychiatric Services, City/County of San Francisco (Dr Shalwitz).

Footnotes
Reprint requests to Division of Adolescent Medicine, A-268, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143 (Dr Shafer).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Low Sensitivity of the Leukocyte Esterase Test (LET) in Detecting Chlamydia trachomatis Infections in Asymptomatic Men Entering a County Jail
Ratelle et al.
J Correct Health Care 2004;10:217-226.
ABSTRACT  

Sexually transmitted infections in male clients of female sex workers in Benin: risk factors and reassessment of the leucocyte esterase dipstick for screening of urethral infections
Alary et al.
Sex. Transm. Infect. 2003;79:388-392.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Are adolescents being screened for sexually transmitted diseases? A study of low income African American adolescents in San Francisco
Ellen et al.
Sex. Transm. Infect. 2000;76:94-97.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impact of Reference Standard Sensitivity on Accuracy of Rapid Antigen Detection Assays and a Leukocyte Esterase Dipstick for Diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in First-Void Urine Specimens from Men
Chernesky et al.
J. Clin. Microbiol. 1999;37:2777-2780.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Asymptomatic gonorrhoea and chlamydial infection in rural Tanzanian men
Grosskurth et al.
BMJ 1996;312:277-280.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Gonococcal and Chlamydial Genitourinary Infections in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Adolescent Women
Biro et al.
CLIN PEDIATR 1995;34:419-423.
ABSTRACT  

Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis: A Case for Empirical Treatment
Gunn and Spitters
JAMA 1994;271:1741-1742.
ABSTRACT  

Evaluation of Urine-Based Screening Strategies to Detect Chlamydia trachomatis Among Sexually Active Asymptomatic Young Males
Shafer et al.
JAMA 1993;270:2065-2070.
ABSTRACT  

The Use of Dipsticks to Detect Chlamydia in Males
Bell et al.
JAMA 1990;264:453-453.
ABSTRACT  

NONINVASIVE SCREENING FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN MALES
JWatch General 1989;1989:5-5.
FULL TEXT