Low Sensitivity of Real Time PCRs Targeting Retrotransposon Sequences for the Detection of Complex DNA in Human Serum.

While hybridization probe-based real-time PCR assays targeting highly repetitive multi-copy genome sequences for the diagnosis of complex or complex from human serum are well established, reports on the evaluation of respective assays for the identification of complex DNA in human serum are scarce. Here, we assessed the potential use of the retrotransposon sequences and from , and for the diagnosis of Asian infections. Based on available sequences and newly provided and sequences, hybridization probe-based real-time PCRs targeting and of the complex were designed both as consensus primer assays as well as multi-primer assays for the coverage of multiple variants of the target sequences. The assays were established using plasmids and DNA. While the consensus primer assays failed to detect DNA in human serum samples, the multi-primer assays showed positive or borderline positive results but only in 9.8% (6/61) of serum samples from patients with confirmed infections. Some cross-reactions with samples positive for or were observed but with the -PCR only. In spite of the low sensitivity, the presented experience may guide future evaluations of complex-specific PCRs from human serum.