DETECTION OF MICROORGANISMS IN VESSEL WALL SPECIMENS OF THE ABDOMINAL-AORTA - DEVELOPMENT OF A PCR ASSAY IN THE ABSENCE OF A GOLD STANDARD

A procedure in which the ''Invitrogen Easy-DNA'' kit was followed by a silica-based method for the isolation of DNA was developed for extrac tion of PCR-inhibitor-free DNA from up to 300 mg of human vessel wait tissue. Optimally designed PCR assays were developed for the detection of at least one infected cell in this amount of tissue. Details of th e procedure are given for the detection of DNA of Chlamydia pneumoniae , cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 in human vessel waits. The procedure can serve as a reference method or as a go ld standard when a high-performance method is needed.