Pallen M J, Butcher P D
Department of Medical Microbiology, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London, UK.
J Hosp Infect. 1991 Jun;18 Suppl A:147-58. doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(91)90017-3.
With the advent of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), molecular biology is at last poised to enter the clinical microbiology laboratory. We describe this technique, and review its present and future applications in the diagnosis of infectious disease, with particular emphasis on its potential in diagnostic bacteriology. We discuss the suitability of different sequences as targets for DNA amplification. The disadvantages of PCR as a diagnostic strategy are covered, and current technical problems with the method are surveyed. We briefly mention two alternative strategies--the transcript-based amplification system and replicatable RNA reporter systems based on the Q beta replicase.
随着聚合酶链反应（PCR）的出现，分子生物学终于准备好进入临床微生物学实验室。我们描述了这项技术，并回顾了其在传染病诊断中的当前和未来应用，特别强调了其在诊断细菌学中的潜力。我们讨论了不同序列作为DNA扩增靶标的适用性。涵盖了PCR作为诊断策略的缺点，并调查了该方法当前的技术问题。我们简要提及了两种替代策略——基于转录本的扩增系统和基于Qβ复制酶的可复制RNA报告系统。
