QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF MURINE RETROVIRUS LP-BM5 INFECTION IN MAIDS BY PCR AND ANION-EXCHANGE HPLC

In vitro amplification of DNA by PCR is a powerful tool to detect smal l amounts of DNA. It is now widely used for detection of pathogenic ag ents from extracellular fluids and organs. The use of anion exchange H PLC to quantify the PCR product resulting from the specific amplificat ion of the DNA from the replicative-defective viral DNA responsible fo r MAIDS is described. This technique allows precise quantification of MAIDS virus DNA in different organs and circumvents the use of radioac tivity and gel electrophoresis.