Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
J Clin Microbiol. 2022 Oct 19;60(10):e0244621. doi: 10.1128/jcm.02446-21. Epub 2022 Jul 19.
Nearly 40 years have elapsed since the invention of the PCR, with its extremely sensitive and specific ability to detect nucleic acids via enzyme-mediated amplification. In turn, more than 2 years have passed since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, during which time molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases have assumed a larger global role than ever before. In this context, we review broadly the progression of molecular techniques in clinical microbiology, to their current prominence. Notably, these methods now entail both the detection and quantification of microbial nucleic acids, along with their sequence-based characterization. Overall, we seek to provide a combined perspective on the techniques themselves, as well as how they have come to shape health care at the intersection of technologic innovation, pathophysiologic knowledge, clinical/laboratory logistics, and even financial/regulatory factors.
自 PCR 发明以来，已经过去了将近 40 年，其通过酶介导的扩增来极其灵敏和特异地检测核酸的能力。反过来，自 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行开始以来，已经过去了两年多，在此期间，传染病的分子诊断在全球的作用比以往任何时候都更加重要。在这种情况下，我们广泛回顾了临床微生物学中分子技术的发展及其目前的突出地位。值得注意的是，这些方法现在不仅包括微生物核酸的检测和定量，还包括基于序列的特征描述。总的来说，我们试图提供对这些技术本身的综合观点，以及它们如何通过技术创新、病理生理学知识、临床/实验室物流，甚至财务/监管因素的交叉点来塑造医疗保健。
