Ishmael Faoud T, Stellato Cristiana
Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008 Oct;101(4):437-43. doi: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)60323-7.
To review the technology of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its use in diagnostic medicine and biomedical research.
A literature review was performed using the PubMed database for English-language articles published between January 1, 1985, and November 31, 2007, using the following keywords: polymerase chain reaction, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and applications of real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Select review articles and primary articles relevant to medical applications of PCR were chosen.
As a revolutionary technique, PCR provides a rapid and accurate means of amplifying DNA. It has enabled the cloning and manipulation of genes for biomedical research and has facilitated the diagnosis of genetic, infectious, and oncologic diseases. The use of reverse transcriptases to evaluate RNA levels and the extension of PCR technology to quantify DNA amplification in real time has brought major advances to the application of PCR. By allowing the determination and quantification of changes in gene expression, these techniques have provided a greater understanding of disease processes and now serve as a foundation for diagnostics and basic science research.
Both PCR and real-time PCR have dramatically changed the field of basic science and diagnostic medicine. These technologies are now a well-established, indispensable part of research and clinical laboratories.
综述聚合酶链反应（PCR）技术及其在诊断医学和生物医学研究中的应用。
使用PubMed数据库对1985年1月1日至2007年11月31日发表的英文文章进行文献综述，关键词如下：聚合酶链反应、实时聚合酶链反应以及实时聚合酶链反应的应用。
选择与PCR医学应用相关的综述文章和原始文章。
作为一项革命性技术，PCR提供了一种快速准确的DNA扩增方法。它使生物医学研究中的基因克隆和操作成为可能，并促进了遗传、感染和肿瘤疾病的诊断。使用逆转录酶评估RNA水平以及将PCR技术扩展到实时定量DNA扩增，为PCR的应用带来了重大进展。通过允许测定和量化基因表达的变化，这些技术使人们对疾病过程有了更深入的了解，现在已成为诊断和基础科学研究的基础。
PCR和实时PCR都极大地改变了基础科学和诊断医学领域。这些技术现在已成为研究和临床实验室中成熟且不可或缺的一部分。
