Disease diagnosis by recombinant DNA methods.

Recombinant DNA procedures have now been applied to the problem of the identification of molecular defects in man that account for heritable diseases, somatic mutations associated with neoplasia, and acquired infectious disease. Thus recombinant DNA technology has rapidly expanded our ability to diagnose disease. Substantial advances in the simplification of procedures for diagnostic purposes have been made, and the informed physician has gained in diagnostic accuracy as a consequence of these developments. The wide application of recombinant DNA diagnostics will depend on simplicity, speed of results, and cost containment.