SIMPLE ONE-TUBE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION-POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION PROTOCOL CONTAINING ANTICONTAMINATION PROCEDURE FOR DETECTION OF GB-VIRUS-CHEPATITIS-G-VIRUS RNA

A simple one-tube reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction prot ocol for detection of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) RNA in serum samples containing anticontamination uracil-N-glycosylase proced ure was developed. Amplification products were detected in a standard microtiter plate format using a commercial PCR ELISA kit (Boehringer M annheim, Germany). Complete agreement between the results of a novel m ethod and the previously determined GBV-C/HGV RNA status was obtained on 131 serum samples (76 GBV-C/HGV RNA positive and 55 GBV-C/HGV RNA n egative samples). The novel method provides the potential for automate d, simple, rapid and accurate routine detection of GBV-C/HGV RNA in di agnostic virological laboratories. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.