Efficient recovery of DNA from peripheral blood for diagnostic analysis with a vacuum manifold

Background: The increasing clinical use of diagnostic DNA mutation analysis requires efficient isolation of DNA from peripheral blood. Methods and Results: The use of a vacuum manifold to isolate DNA was evalua ted and compared with a similar centrifugation-based DNA isolation techniqu e. In PCR-based assays of five-point mutations, identical results were obta ined with DNA isolated from peripheral blood using either centrifugation or a vacuum system. Minor modifications to PCR procedures were encountered. Conclusions: In the clinical setting, this vacuum-driven method of DNA isol ation provides an efficient, useful alternative to conventional centrifugat ion-based DNA isolation from peripheral-blood specimens. Providing sufficie nt, stable DNA for multiple assays, it is easily implemented without highly specialized, expensive equipment and decreases the time spent isolating DN A from multiple samples. In addition, the potential for specimen contaminat ion is reduced because there are fewer transfer steps.