Development of one-step TaqMan® real-time reverse transcription-PCR and conventional reverse transcription-PCR assays for the detection of equine rhinitis A and B viruses

qRT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription-PCR) has become the benchmark for the detection and quantification of RNA targets and is being utilized increasingly in novel clinical diagnostic assays. Quantitative results obtained by this technology are not only more informative than qualitative data, but simplify assay standardization and quality management. qRT-PCR assays are most established for the detection of viral load and therapy monitoring, and the development of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)-associated coronavirus qRT-PCR assays provide a textbook example of the value of this technology for clinical diagnostics. The widespread use of qRT-PCR assays for diagnosis and the detection of disease-specific prognostic markers in leukaemia patients provide further examples of their usefulness. Their value for the detection of disease-associated mRNA expressed by circulating tumour cells in patients with solid malignancies is far less apparent, and the clinical significance of results obtained from such tests remains unclear. This is because of conceptual reservations as well as technical limitations that can interfere with the diagnostic specificity of qRT-PCR assays. Therefore, although it is evident that qRT-PCR assay has become a useful and important technology in the clinical diagnostic laboratory, it must be used appropriately and it is essential to be aware of its limitations if it is to fulfil its potential.

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Circulating Prostate Tumor Cells Detected by Reverse Transcription-PCR in Men with Localized or Castration-Refractory Prostate Cancer: Concordance with CellSearch Assay and Association with Bone Metastases and with Survival

Clinical Chemistry ◽

10.1373/clinchem.2008.117952 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 55 (4) ◽

pp. 765-773 ◽

Cited By ~ 93

Author(s):

Pauliina Helo ◽

Angel M Cronin ◽

Daniel C Danila ◽

Sven Wenske ◽

Rita Gonzalez-Espinoza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Bone Metastases ◽

Healthy Volunteers ◽

Real Time ◽

Tumor Cells ◽

Reverse Transcription ◽

Specific Antigen ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽

Pcr Assays

Abstract Background: Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays have been used for analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), but their clinical value has yet to be established. We assessed men with localized prostate cancer or castration-refractory prostate cancer (CRPC) for CTCs via real-time RT-PCR assays for KLK3 [kallikrein-related peptidase 3; i.e., prostate-specific antigen (PSA)] and KLK2 mRNAs. We also assessed the association of CTCs with disease characteristics and survival. Methods: KLK3, KLK2, and PSCA (prostate stem cell antigen) mRNAs were measured by standardized, quantitative real-time RT-PCR assays in blood samples from 180 localized-disease patients, 76 metastatic CRPC patients, and 19 healthy volunteers. CRPC samples were also tested for CTCs by an immunomagnetic separation system (CellSearch™; Veridex) approved for clinical use. Results: All healthy volunteers were negative for KLK mRNAs. Results of tests for KLK3 or KLK2 mRNAs were positive (≥80 mRNAs/mL blood) in 37 patients (49%) with CRPC but in only 15 patients (8%) with localized cancer. RT-PCR and CellSearch CTC results were strongly concordant (80%–85%) and correlated (Kendall τ, 0.60–0.68). Among CRPC patients, KLK mRNAs and CellSearch CTCs were closely associated with clinical evidence of bone metastases and with survival but were only modestly correlated with serum PSA concentrations. PSCA mRNA was detected in only 7 CRPC patients (10%) and was associated with a positive KLK mRNA status. Conclusions: Real-time RT-PCR assays of KLK mRNAs are highly concordant with CellSearch CTC results in patients with CRPC. KLK2/3-expressing CTCs are common in men with CRPC and bone metastases but are rare in patients with metastases diagnosed only in soft tissues and patients with localized cancer.

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Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Noroviruses by Using TaqMan-Based One-Step Reverse Transcription-PCR Assays and Application to Naturally Contaminated Shellfish Samples

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.71.4.1870-1875.2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 71 (4) ◽

pp. 1870-1875 ◽

Cited By ~ 254

Author(s):

Narayanan Jothikumar ◽

James A. Lowther ◽

Kathleen Henshilwood ◽

David N. Lees ◽

Vincent R. Hill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reverse Transcription ◽

Nested Pcr ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽

Specificity And Sensitivity ◽

Routine Monitoring ◽

The Family ◽

One Step ◽

Stool Specimens ◽

Pcr Assays

ABSTRACT Noroviruses (NoV), which are members of the family Caliciviridae, are the most important cause of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis worldwide and are commonly found in shellfish grown in polluted waters. In the present study, we developed broadly reactive one-step TaqMan reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays for the detection of genogroup I (GI) and GII NoV in fecal samples, as well as shellfish samples. The specificity and sensitivity of all steps of the assays were systematically evaluated, and in the final format, the monoplex assays were validated by using RNA extracted from a panel of 84 stool specimens, which included NoV strains representing 19 different genotypes (7 GI, 11 GII, and 1 GIV strains). The assays were further validated with 38 shellfish cDNA extracts previously tested by nested PCR. Comparison with a recently described real-time assay showed that our assay had significantly higher sensitivity and was at least as sensitive as the nested PCR. For stool specimens, a one-step duplex TaqMan RT-PCR assay performed as well as individual genogroup-specific monoplex assays. All other enteric viruses examined were negative, and no cross-reaction between genogroups was observed. These TaqMan RT-PCR assays provide rapid (less than 90 min), sensitive, and reliable detection of NoV and should prove to be useful for routine monitoring of both clinical and shellfish samples.

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