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ABSTRACT: A sensitive and analytically specific nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) is valuable in confirming the diagnosis of early Lyme disease at the stage of spirochetemia.
Venous blood drawn from patients with clinical presentations of Lyme disease was tested for the standard 2-tier screen and Western Blot serology assay for Lyme disease, and also by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for B. burgdorferi sensu lato 16S ribosomal DNA. The PCR amplicon was sequenced for B. burgdorferi genomic DNA validation. A total of 130 patients visiting emergency room (ER) or Walk-in clinic (WALKIN), and 333 patients referred through the private physicians' offices were studied. While 5.4% of the ER/WALKIN patients showed DNA evidence of spirochetemia, none (0%) of the patients referred from private physicians' offices were DNA-positive. In contrast, while 8.4% of the patients referred from private physicians' offices were positive for the 2-tier Lyme serology assay, only 1.5% of the ER/WALKIN patients were positive for this antibody test. The 2-tier serology assay missed 85.7% of the cases of early Lyme disease with spirochetemia. The latter diagnosis was confirmed by DNA sequencing.
Nested PCR followed by automated DNA sequencing is a valuable supplement to the standard 2-tier antibody assay in the diagnosis of early Lyme disease with spirochetemia. The best time to test for Lyme spirochetemia is when the patients living in the Lyme disease endemic areas develop unexplained symptoms or clinical manifestations that are consistent with Lyme disease early in the course of their illness.
BMC Research Notes 11/2010; 3:273.
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ABSTRACT: The DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes extracted by ammonium hydroxide was used as the template for nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the species-specific 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The primers were those well known to be specific for signature sequence amplification of the B burgdorferi sensu lato 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The positive 293-base-pair nested PCR amplicon was subjected to routine direct automated Sanger sequencing. A 50-base sequence excised randomly from the sequencing electrophoretogram between the 2 nested PCR primer binding sites was sufficient for the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis to validate the B burgdorferi sensu lato 16S rDNA without a reasonable doubt. Nested PCR increased the sensitivity of DNA detection by 100- to 1,000-fold. DNA sequence validation based on BLAST algorithms using the GenBank database practically eliminates any possibility of false-positive results due to molecular misidentification. This technology may be a valuable supplement to the current serologic tests for Lyme disease.
American Journal of Clinical Pathology 04/2010; 133(4):569-76. · 2.60 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Persistent infection indicated by detection of human papillomavirus 16 (HPV-16) on repeat testing over a period of time poses the greatest cervical cancer risk. However, variants of HPV-16, HPV-31 and HPV-33 may share several short sequence homologies in the hypervariable L1 gene commonly targeted for HPV genotyping. The purpose of this study was to introduce a robust laboratory procedure to validate HPV-16 detected in clinical specimens, using the GenBank sequence database as the standard reference for genotyping.
A nested PCR with two pairs of consensus primers was used to amplify the HPV DNA released in crude proteinase K digest of the cervicovaginal cells in liquid-based Papanicolaou cytology specimens. The positive nested PCR products were used for direct automated DNA sequencing.
A 48-base sequence downstream of the GP5+ priming site, or a 34-base sequence upstream thereof, was needed for unequivocal validation of an HPV-16 isolate. Selection of a 45-base, or shorter, sequence immediately downstream of the GP5+ site for Basic Local Alignment Search Tool sequence analysis invariably led to ambiguous genotyping results.
DNA sequence analysis may be used for differential genotyping of HPV-16, HPV-31 and HPV-33 in clinical specimens. However, selection of the signature sequence for Basic Local Alignment Search Tool algorithms is crucial to distinguish certain HPV-16 variants from other closely related HPV genotypes.
Journal of clinical pathology 10/2009; 63(3):235-9. · 2.43 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To study the prevalence of low-risk and high-risk HPV genotypes in a largely suburban, non-Hispanic, white female population of the USA, and to determine the positive predictive value of one-occasion HPV detection and genotyping using high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) cytology as the endpoint for clinical evaluation.
HPV DNA present in liquid-based cytology specimens collected by gynecologists in private practice was amplified using nested polymerase chain reaction. HPV DNA was validated by signature DNA sequencing for accurate genotyping.
Of 2633 specimens, 278 were positive for HPV DNA of any genotype. Among 255 single HPV infections, the most prevalent genotype was HPV-16 (n=50; 19.6%), followed by HPV-52 (n=24; 9.4%). Only 10 specimens, all positive for a high-risk HPV, were associated with an HSIL cytology result. Among them were 6 of the 50 specimens (12%) tested positive for HPV-16. One novel HPV-39 variant was detected in repeat testing in a patient with persistent HPV infection.
DNA sequencing is a useful method for increasing the specificity of HPV genotyping as an aid to follow persistent high-risk HPV infections to reduce excessive colposcopies in populations with low cancer prevalence.
International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 03/2009; 105(3):210-4. · 1.41 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Screening with combined cytologic and HPV testing has led to the highest number of excessive colposcopic referrals due to high false positive rates of the current HPV testing in the USA. How best to capitalize on the enhanced sensitivity of HPV DNA testing while minimizing false-positive results from its lower specificity is an important task for the clinical pathologists.
The HPV L1 gene DNA in liquid-based Pap cytology specimens was initially amplified by the degenerate MY09/MY11 PCR primers and then re-amplified by the nested GP5+/GP6+ primers, or the heminested GP6/MY11, heminested GP5/MY09 primers or their modified equivalent without sample purification or DNA extraction. The nested PCR products were used for direct automated DNA sequencing. A 34- to 50-base sequence including the GP5+ priming site was selected as the signature sequence for routine genotyping by online BLAST sequence alignment algorithms.
Of 3,222 specimens, 352 were found to contain HPV DNA, with 92% of the positive samples infected by only 1 of the 35 HPV genotypes detected and 8% by more than 1 HPV genotype. The most common genotype was HPV-16 (68 isolates), followed by HPV-52 (25 isolates). More than half (53.7%) of the total number of HPV isolates relied on a nested PCR for detection although the majority of HPV-16, -18, -31, -33 -35 and -58 isolates were detected by a single MY09/MY11 PCR. Alignment of a 34-base sequence downstream of the GP5+ site failed to distinguish some isolates of HPV-16, -31 and -33. Novel variants of HPV with less than "100% identities" signature sequence match with those stored in the Genbank database were also detected by signature DNA sequencing in this rural and suburban population of the United States.
Laboratory staff must be familiar with the limitations of the consensus PCR primers, the locations of the signature sequence in the L1 gene for some HPV genotypes, and HPV genotype sequence variants in order to perform accurate HPV genotyping.
BMC Clinical Pathology 02/2009; 9:3.
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ABSTRACT: DNA sequencing was used to confirm Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae nucleic acids in endocervical swab samples. DNA in residues of the samples with positive results by 2 commercial kits was subjected to nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The nested PCR amplicons were used as templates for direct automated DNA sequencing. A 40-base signature sequence was sufficient to achieve unequivocal validation of C trachomatis cryptic plasmid and gonococcal opa gene DNA. DNA with a signature sequence specific for C trachomatis was identified in all 14 samples and for N gonorrhoeae in all 13 samples with positive results by the commercial kits for these 2 microbes. In a low-prevalence population, PCR retesting of 289 samples with initial negative results by a non-nucleic acid amplification assay revealed 3 samples positive for C trachomatis and 2 samples positive for N gonorrhoeae that were missed by the commercial kit. DNA sequencing is a useful tool in validating molecular diagnostics.
American Journal of Clinical Pathology 07/2008; 129(6):852-9. · 2.60 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping is important for following up patients with persistent HPV infection and for evaluation of prevention strategy for the individual patients to be immunized with type-specific HPV vaccines. The aim of this study was to optimize a robust "low-temperature" (LoTemp) PCR system to streamline the research protocols for HPV DNA nested PCR-amplification followed by genotyping with direct DNA sequencing. The protocol optimization facilitates transferring this molecular technology into clinical laboratory practice. In particular, lowering the temperature by 10 degrees C at each step of thermocycling during in vitro DNA amplification yields more homogeneous PCR products. With this protocol, template purification before enzymatic cycle primer extensions is no longer necessary.
The HPV genomic DNA extracted from liquid-based alcohol-preserved cervicovaginal cells was first amplified by the consensus MY09/MY11 primer pair followed by nested PCR with GP5+/GP6+ primers. The 150 bp nested PCR products were subjected to direct DNA sequencing. The hypervariable 34-50 bp DNA sequence downstream of the GP5+ primer site was compared to the known HPV DNA sequences stored in the GenBank using on-line BLAST for genotyping. The LoTemp ready-to-use PCR polymerase reagents proved to be stable at room temperature for at least 6 weeks. Nested PCR detected 107 isolates of HPV in 513 cervicovaginal clinical samples, all validated by DNA sequencing. HPV-16 was the most prevalent genotype constituting 29 of 107 positive cases (27.2%), followed by HPV-56 (8.5%). For comparison, Digene HC2 test detected 62.6% of the 107 HPV isolates and returned 11 (37.9%) of the 29 HPV-16 positive cases as "positive for high-risk HPV".
The LoTemp ready-to-use PCR polymerase system which allows thermocycling at 85 degrees C for denaturing, 40 degrees C for annealing and 65 degrees C for primer extension can be adapted for target HPV DNA amplification by nested PCR and for preparation of clinical materials for genotyping by direct DNA sequencing. HPV genotyping is performed by on-line BLAST algorithm of a hypervariable L1 region. The DNA sequence is included in each report to the physician for comparison in following up patients with persistent HPV infection, a recognized tumor promoter in cancer induction.
Infectious Agents and Cancer 02/2007; 2:11.
