title: Five years MIQE guidelines: the case of the Arabian countries.
abstract: The quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has become a key molecular enabling technology with an immense range of research, clinical, forensic as well as diagnostic applications. Its relatively moderate instrumentation and reagent requirements have led to its adoption by numerous laboratories, including those located in the Arabian world, where qPCR, which targets DNA, and reverse transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR), which targets RNA, are widely used for region-specific biotechnology, agricultural and human genetic studies. However, it has become increasingly apparent that there are significant problems with both the quality of qPCR-based data as well as the transparency of reporting. This realisation led to the publication of the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines in 2009 and their more widespread adoption in the last couple of years. An analysis of the performance of biomedical research in the Arabian world between 2001-2005 suggests that the Arabian world is producing fewer biomedical publications of lower quality than other Middle Eastern countries. Hence we have analysed specifically the quality of RT-qPCR-based peer-reviewed papers published since 2009 from Arabian researchers using a bespoke iOS/Android app developed by one of the authors. Our results show that compliance with 15 essential MIQE criteria was low (median of 40%, range 0-93%) and few details on RNA quality controls (22% compliance), assays design (12%), RT strategies (32%), amplification efficiencies (30%) and the normalisation process (3%). These data indicate that one of the reasons for the poor performance of Arabian world biomedical research may be the low standard of any supporting qPCR experiments and identify which aspects of qPCR experiments require significant improvements.
authors: Special Infectious Agents Unit-Biosafety Level 3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Afif M
authors: AM
authors: Abdel Nour
authors: Special Infectious Agents Unit-Biosafety Level 3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ; Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Esam
authors: E
authors: Azhar
authors: King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Ghazi
authors: G
authors: Damanhouri
authors: Postgraduate Medical Institute, Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Stephen A
authors: SA
authors: Bustin
mesh_terms: D001083:Arabia; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*