Emmanuel P J
Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida College of Medicine.
J Fla Med Assoc. 1993 Sep;80(9):627-30.
The past decade has seen the rapid advancement of molecular biology and its application in the field of infectious diseases. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique which allows for the in vitro amplification of DNA. The ability of this method to recognize and amplify small quantities of foreign genome from unpurified samples will revolutionize the diagnoses of microbial diseases which have previously been cumbersome or impossible. It has already been widely applied in this area, and clinical labs will soon be offering this test for selected pathogens. There are ongoing studies evaluating its use in CNS infections and for the identification of viruses in the immunocompromised host. The PCR is not without problems, particularly false positive results from contamination. Because it is so sensitive, the significance of a positive result in patients with latent or chronic infections is yet to be determined. As our knowledge and familiarity with PCR expands, it will become a powerful tool for the clinician to use to identify various infectious diseases.
在过去十年中，分子生物学取得了飞速发展，并在传染病领域得到了应用。聚合酶链反应（PCR）是一种可在体外扩增DNA的技术。该方法能够从不纯的样本中识别并扩增少量外来基因组，这将彻底改变以往繁琐或无法进行的微生物疾病诊断方式。它已经在该领域得到了广泛应用，临床实验室很快将针对特定病原体开展此项检测。目前正在进行研究，评估其在中枢神经系统感染中的应用以及在免疫功能低下宿主中鉴定病毒的作用。PCR并非没有问题，尤其是污染导致的假阳性结果。由于其灵敏度极高，潜伏或慢性感染患者检测结果呈阳性的意义尚待确定。随着我们对PCR的了解和熟悉程度不断提高，它将成为临床医生用于识别各种传染病的有力工具。
