📄 Coupling multiplex RT-PCR to a gene chip assay for sensitive and semiquantitative detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus

An early and accurate diagnostic assay for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is crucial for infection control. However, most of the diagnostic methods available today, such as real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), require a second detection method for confirmation because they detect a single sequence region of the SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV). For sensitive and accurate early diagnosis, we report a novel assay system combining multiplex RT-PCR and a diagnostic gene chip to detect multiple virus-specific genomic sequences of SARS-CoV. With 53 clinical specimens, we successfully demonstrate that this technique offers not only a high-accuracy diagnosis for early SARS infection but also a semiquantitative assay.

keywords 🔗 severe acute (1373) 🔗 polymerase chain (300) 🔗 reverse transcriptase (87) 🔗 real-time reverse (87) 🔗 clinical specimens (44) 🔗 respiratory syndrome (2004) 🔗 acute respiratory (1734) 🔗 chain reaction (303)

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