Transfusion-related transmissible diseases: detection by polymerase chain reaction-amplified genes of the microbial agents.
The detection of blood-borne microbes by PCR has broadly and rapidly progressed in the past 5 years as briefly described in this article. This progress has been largely because of the scientific developments made at Roche Molecular Systems by Sninsky et al through collaborations with academic and Government institutions. This unprecedented cooperation propels the continuing work at Roche Molecular Systems to bring the PCR technology into routine laboratory diagnosis. Whether the success of EIA in virtual elimination of hepatitis and retroviral infections can be matched by the cost-effectiveness of putative application of PCR in screening blood supply remains to be determined.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
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Murphy
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission*