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Polymerase chain reaction |
| Test | Polymerase chain reaction |
| Indication | The polymerase chain reaction is a new technique developed in molecular biology. The use of PCR in laboratory include prenatal diagnosis of sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy, as well as oncogene activation in the case of lymphoma and chronic myelogenous leukemia. |
| Physiology | The PCR technique permits a millionfold amplification of small pieces of DNA in several hours. The amplification is performed by multiple cycles of DNA polymerizing enzyme in the presence of known sequences. The procedure is automated with programmable heating blocks tocycle the reaction automatically. The technique has unprecedented sensitivity, being able to use small quantiity of DNa and to amplify the DNA from a single cell. |
| Interpretation | bcl-2 gene rearrangement, Chlamydia trachomatis DNA probe, Muscular dystrophy, HIV-1 serology |
| Test Method | PCR technique |
| Related Tests | Depends upon the amplification required. |
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