Aldape Kenneth, Ginzinger David G, Godfrey Tony E
Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
Brain Pathol. 2002 Jan;12(1):54-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2002.tb00423.x.
Since its introduction in the early- to mid-1980s, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been modified and optimized for an increasing number of applications. Early on, the focus was on the amplification of a specific nucleic acid template into quantities amenable to identification and experimental manipulation. While this remains an important application, recent technology has allowed the use of PCR to accurately quantitate the amount of a specific nucleic acid template present in a complex sample. Rather than simply analyzing the final product amount following the course of sequential cycles of amplification, quantitative PCR allows one to measure the accumulation of PCR product during the course of the reaction ("real-time PCR"). Under the appropriate conditions the number of PCR cycles required for the accumulation of a specific amount of product (during the exponential phase of the reaction) is a reflection of the relative amount of nucleic acid template present in the sample under analysis. Real-time quantitative PCR allows one to analyze a relatively large number of samples in a short period of time, potentially allowing multiple markers to be applied on a sample within a time frame consistent with clinical settings. In this overview, we will highlight the uses of real-time quantitative PCR as a potential diagnostic tool in neuropathology, focusing on the analysis of CNS tumors.
自20世纪80年代初至中期被引入以来，聚合酶链反应（PCR）已针对越来越多的应用进行了修改和优化。早期，重点是将特定核酸模板扩增到适合鉴定和实验操作的数量。虽然这仍然是一项重要应用，但最近的技术已使PCR能够准确量化复杂样品中特定核酸模板的量。定量PCR并非简单地分析连续扩增循环后的最终产物量，而是允许人们在反应过程中测量PCR产物的积累（“实时PCR”）。在适当条件下，积累特定量产物所需的PCR循环数（在反应的指数期）反映了被分析样品中核酸模板的相对量。实时定量PCR使人们能够在短时间内分析相对大量的样品，有可能在与临床环境一致的时间框架内对一个样品应用多个标记物。在本综述中，我们将重点介绍实时定量PCR作为神经病理学潜在诊断工具的用途，重点关注中枢神经系统肿瘤的分析。
