title: Performance evaluation of the automated NucliSens easyMAG nucleic acid extraction platform in comparison with QIAamp Mini kit from clinical specimens.
abstract: The performance of the NucliSens easyMAG platform for the extraction of nucleic acid from different clinical specimens was compared with a manual procedure. A total of 308 specimens were analyzed: 209 plasma samples collected for virus detection and quantification of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (n = 70), and 29 for HIV genotyping for drug resistance. Linearity of extraction was tested on dilution series of CMV and EBV; the correlation coefficient (R(2)) for standard curves based on repeated extraction runs was 0.99 for CMV and EBV. Inter- and intrarun variability was in accordance with previous studies, and the correlation between automated and manual extraction was very high. The concordant results were 95.7% for CMV and 100% for EBV. The results of sequence analysis for HIV drug resistance showed a concordance in 24 of 29 specimens. The NucliSens easyMAG is extremely easy to perform, is automated, and resulted in a strong reduction of hands-on time compared with manual protocol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Applied Medicine, University of Brescia, Italy. perandin@med.unibs.it
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perandin
authors.forename: Patrizia C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Pollara
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gargiulo
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonfanti
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manca
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001331:Automation; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D010949:Plasma / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic