title: A rapid hemi-nested PCR for HTLV-I detection.
abstract: A hemi-nested PCR approach was adopted to detect HTLV-1 infection in clinical samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from subjects with positive or indeterminate serological results. Our results showed that the hemi-nested PCR quickly solved the diagnostic query, detecting the presence of proviral HTLV-1 DNA in two of the 252 patients with inconclusive serological results. The main advantage of this method are the typology of DNA extraction, allowing a consistent DNA recovery without amplification problems, the rapidity (4-5 hours), the performance of the assay and its comparable or better sensitivity than other HTLV-1 PCR formats.
authors.affiliation: Section of Microbiology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibellini
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monari
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.forename: Maria Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Re
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011533:Proviruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral