title: A competitor DNA template for the molecular quantification of the hepatitis B virus.
abstract: The molecular determination of viral load in the serum represents the most valuable prognostic marker of HBV infection. In this paper, a new molecular assay for the quantitative measurement of HBV presence is described. It is based on PCR performing with a HBV-specific competitor DNA template. For the construction of the DNA template, a HBV DNA-originated 436 bp DNA fragment was modified by introducing a 110 bp deletion and cloned into pUC19. The resulting vector serves as the competitor DNA template in the competitive PCR. Post-PCR, the competitor DNA generates an amplified fragment of 306 bp; it could be easily distinguished from the product generated from the viral-originated DNA product (416 bp) when the same primers are used. The quantitative ratio between the two products enables the quantitative determination of viral load. The range of the HB-PCR assay is from 3 x 10(4)to 6 x 10(10) particles/ml. A serum HBV load determination performed by HB-PCR assay indicated a close correlation with the results of the Quantiplex HBV DNA assay (bDNA). The HB-PCR assay is cheap, reliable and easy to use in any laboratory working with PCR methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Łódź, 92-215 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sidorkiewicz
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bzorska
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Józwiak
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jabłkowski
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szemraj
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lewandowska
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens