We performed serial nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) in 25 patients with t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We found transient disappearance of the AML1-ETO transcript in most of the patients in complete remission. Durable PCR-negativity was found in a subgroup of patients and was associated with a good prognosis.

A traditional single-stage reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) procedure is effective in determining West Nile (WN) virus in avian tissue and infected cell cultures. However, the procedure lacks the sensitivity to detect WN virus in equine tissue. We describe an RT-nested PCR (RT-nPCR) procedure that identifies the North American strain of WN virus directly in equine and av...

We have evaluated a diagnostic system based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the rapid, simple, and sensitive detection of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) directly from culture isolates as well as clinical samples. By using one set of specific primers targeting the fusion protein gene, the LAMP assay rapidly amplified the target gene within 2 h, requiring only a regu...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Ewing's tumors (ET) are primary malignancies of bone and soft tissues characterized in at least 96% of cases by specific fusion transcripts originating from recurrent chromosomal translocations. Clinical protocols for high-risk metastatic ETs include high-dose radiation/chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) reinfusion. We used nested reve...

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica, dispar, and moshkovskii, using microscopic molecular methods in Jahrom city (Fars Province), south Iran. Stool samples were collected from 360 outpatients referred medical laboratories city. Standard parasitological methods, including direct wet mount examination, formalin–ether sedimentation technique, trichrome staining te...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine whether or not a noninvasive procedure utilizing maternal peripheral blood as the source of DNA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) could be used to detect fetal rhesus D (RhD) status as well as fetal gender during different gestational stages of pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Maternal blood samples were obtained from 54 RhD-negative pregnant...

INTRODUCTION Molecular biology procedures to detect, genotype and quantify hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in clinical samples have been extensively described. Routine commercial methods for each specific purpose (detection, quantification and genotyping) are also available, all of which are typically based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the HCV 5' untranslated region (5'UTR). This st...

A nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR)-based assay, was developed and evaluated for rapid detection of Trypanosoma evansi in experimentally infected mice and naturally infected camels (Camelus dromedarius). Four oligonucleotide primers (TE1, TE2, TE3 and TE4), selected from nuclear repetitive gene of T. evansi, were designed and used for PCR amplifications. The first amplification, using a p...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES As there are no standard laboratory techniques for the rapid detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii in India, this study was undertaken to evaluate and establish an optimal and rapid technique for the detection of P. jirovecii by comparing three different techniques - staining technique, application of a real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting kex 1 gene and ...

AIM To evaluate rpoB gene as a biomarker of microbial biodiversity associated to cold-smoked salmon by a novel nested-polymerase chain reaction/temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR/TTGE) technique applied on pure cultures of reference strains. METHODS AND RESULTS DNA obtained from pure cultures of reference strains was used in a succession of a first PCR amplification of rpo...