title: Rapid extraction of DNA from archival clinical specimens: our experiences.
abstract: The analysis of DNA extracted from archival clinical specimens using polymerase chain reaction represents the basis of a variety of research and diagnostic protocols in medicine. However, the selection of optimal DNA extraction method is critical if such an analysis is to be successful. Recently, we have evaluated a number of rapid DNA extraction protocols in order to find the most suitable method for routine processing of the most common archival materials in pathological and cytological laboratories: paraffin-embedded tissues and Papanicolaou- or Giemsa-stained smears. Our results demonstrate that rapid DNA extraction methods have comparable DNA extraction efficiencies with standard DNA isolation protocols on archival clinical specimens with the exception of Giemsa-stained smears.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia. poljak@animus.mf.uni-lj.si
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seme
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gale
mesh_terms: D001109:Archives; D001399:Azure Stains; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D013997:Time Factors; D014626:Vaginal Smears
chemical_list: D001399:Azure Stains; D004247:DNA