Nested real-time PCR for hepatitis A detection

Aims:  The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is one of the most important human foodborne pathogens causing a number of worldwide outbreaks each year. The detection of HAV in food samples remains a complex issue, because commonly used detection tools, such as conventional or even real-time PCR assays, are often unable to detect HAV with sufficient sensitivity. The aims of this study were to develop highly sensitive and specific nested real-time PCR (NRT-PCR)-based method for HAV detection in food and to compare it with currently available methods.
Methods and Results:  By combining conventional PCR, nested PCR and real-time PCR techniques, we have developed a specific NRT-PCR assay for the detection of HAV. The procedure involves two consecutive PCRs, the first of which is performed as a conventional RT-PCR using primers specific for HAV 5' noncoding region. The second reaction involves a real-time PCR using a nested primer pair specific for the first PCR product and a TaqMan probe.
Conclusions:  We have developed a novel NRT-PCR method capable of detecting as little as 0·2 PFU of HAV, which is significantly more sensitive than any other PCR technique tested in our system.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  NRT-PCR provides a potentially useful method for detecting HAV at extremely low levels, as frequently found in food samples, and can be potentially adopted as a regulatory method to ensure food safety.     

RT-PCR一步法检测甲型肝炎活病毒方法的建立

建立灵敏、特异、快速检测甲型肝炎活病毒(HAV)的方法。提取HAV总RNA,选用HAV高保守区为目标区,设计合成一对引物,通过RT-PCR反应扩增其核酸,用琼脂糖凝胶电泳法检测其扩增产物,紫外灯下观察,约200bp处为目标片段,根据观察结果,计算HAV滴度。RT-PCR一步法快速、灵敏、重复性好、特异性强,可用于甲型肝炎活病毒检测。     

TaqMan实时荧光定量RT-PCR检测甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗病毒含量的研究

目的：建立一种快速定量检测甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗病毒含量的实时荧光定量RT-PCR方法。方法对Gen-Bank中登陆的甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗株（ L-A-1）和其他甲型肝炎病毒基因组全序列比较分析,根据其高度保守的5′端非编码区设计针对甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗株特异性引物与探针,对荧光定量RT-PCR反应条件进行优化,检测该方法的特异性和灵敏性,并对甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗病毒含量进行定量检测。结果该方法对甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗株高度特异,扩增片段为207 bp,不与其他肠道病毒发生非特异性反应。在104 CCID50/管～10-1 CCID50/管之间有良好的扩增曲线,检测的灵敏度可达0．1CCID50～0．01CCID50,比普通RT-PCR高100倍。结论该方法具有快速、灵敏、特异、重复性好等优点,可应用于甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗生产过程中病毒含量滴度测定及指导疫苗成品的配制。     

Real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay for detection of hepatitis A virus

A nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) assay in combination with a molecular beacon was developed for the real-time detection and quantification of hepatitis A virus (HAV). A 202-bp, highly conserved 5' noncoding region of HAV was targeted. The sensitivity of the real-time NASBA assay was tested with 10-fold dilutions of viral RNA, and a detection limit of 1 PFU was obtained. The specificity of the assay was demonstrated by testing with other environmental pathogens and indicator microorganisms, with only HAV positively identified. When combined with immunomagnetic separation, the NASBA assay successfully detected as few as 10 PFU from seeded lake water samples. Due to its isothermal nature, its speed, and its similar sensitivity compared to the real-time RT-PCR assay, this newly reported real-time NASBA method will have broad applications for the rapid detection of HAV in contaminated food or water.     

Real-Time Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification Assay for Detection of Hepatitis A Virus

A nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) assay in combination with a molecular beacon was developed for the real-time detection and quantification of hepatitis A virus (HAV). A 202-bp, highly conserved 5′ noncoding region of HAV was targeted. The sensitivity of the real-time NASBA assay was tested with 10-fold dilutions of viral RNA, and a detection limit of 1 PFU was obtained. The specificity of the assay was demonstrated by testing with other environmental pathogens and indicator microorganisms, with only HAV positively identified. When combined with immunomagnetic separation, the NASBA assay successfully detected as few as 10 PFU from seeded lake water samples. Due to its isothermal nature, its speed, and its similar sensitivity compared to the real-time RT-PCR assay, this newly reported real-time NASBA method will have broad applications for the rapid detection of HAV in contaminated food or water.     

Rapid detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio metschnikovii</Emphasis> in aquatic products by real-time PCR

PCR and SYBR Green I real-time PCR techniques were applied to the rapid detection of Vibrio metschnikovii by designing primers based on infC (initiation factor 3) gene sequence. The specificity, sensitivity, and practical applications of the methods have been also analyzed. The methods showed high detecting specificity with no cross amplifications of other closely related and nonrelated species; they provide a simple and rapid tool for V. metschnikovii detection with high sensitivity and specificity     

细胞培养结合实时荧光RT-PCR法快速检测甲肝病毒滴度的研究

目的建立一种细胞培养与实时荧光RT-PCR相结合的快速检测甲肝病毒滴度的方法。方法根据甲肝病毒(HAV)L-A-1株5'端基因组序列,设计了2条基因特异性引物及一条探针,建立实时荧光RT-PCR法,结合细胞培养检测甲肝病毒滴度,并与ELISA检测法进行比较。结果实验中建立的方法能特异检测甲肝病毒,细胞培养8d检测病毒滴度为lg107.0CCID50/mL。同一样本重复检测3次,批内样本Ct值的变异系数最大为0.89%,批间样本Ct值变异系数最大为1.66%。建立的细胞培养结合实时荧光RT-PCR法(细胞培养8 d)与细胞培养ELISA法(细胞培养28 d)检测甲肝病毒滴度结果差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论该方法具有快速、灵敏、特异等优点,应用于疫苗常规检测有良好前景。     

Detection of methicillin-resistant <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> (MRSA) from nasal samples by multiplex real-time PCR based on dual priming AT-rich primers

In this study, we reported on the design of a multiplex real-time PCR assay based on SYBR Green I, incorporating dual priming adenine-thymine (AT)-rich primers for direct detection of MRSA from nasal samples. The multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay reported in this study is based on SYBR Green I with incorporation of six dual priming AT-rich primers designed from the SCCmec/orf junction. A string (4–6 bp) of low-melting bases, such as adenine and thymine, was incorporated into the primers, which virtually divided a single primer in two functional regions, thus decreasing non-specific PCR products. The analytical sensitivity and specificity of the RT-PCR assay was determined with genomic DNA of reference strains (MRSA, MSSA, and MRCoNS). RT-PCR assay was performed for analysis of 72 nasal swab specimens, and the results were confirmed by use of a culture method. Furthermore, the results of RT-PCR were compared with LightCycler MRSA advance test. The multiplex RT-PCR assay reproducibly detected a minimum of 1 pg genomic DNA (31.5 copy of genome) of MRSA reference strains and clinical isolates, with a specific melting peak at 83.5 ± 1.5°C, and neither fluorescence nor a melting peak was detected in non-target isolates. The concordance rate between RT-PCR assay and culture method was 87.5% with Cohen's kappa value (κ) 0.75, which showed good agreement between the two assays. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the assay were 93.5%, 82.9%, 80.5%, and 94.4%, respectively. In a comparative study for the detection of 72 nasal samples, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the multiplex RT-PCR assay with respect to LightCycler MRSA advance test was 84.2%, 88.2%, 89%, and, 83.3%, respectively. The results of RT-PCR assay demonstrated high specificity (88.2%) and positive predictive value (89%) for the direct detection of MRSA from nasal samples.     

Validation of real-time RT-PCR assays for mRNA quantification in baboons

Real-time RT-PCR has been used widely, both in fundamental research and in clinical diagnostics, for instance for quantification of RNA levels in human tissues and tissue biopsies. In the present study we provide a strategy to validate primers/probes for real-time RT-PCR quantification of baboon samples. The method is based on the TaqMan system and uses primers/probes that have been designed and validated for human real-time RT-PCR. A prerequisite for the accuracy of this strategy is a similar amplification efficiency between human and baboon PCR reactions. We propose two different methods, i.e. by calculating PCR efficiencies from the slope of a dilution curve or by using the linear regression method, to compare the amplification efficiency between human and baboon samples. In conclusion, by performing a simple validation experiment, real-time PCR assays based on human sequences, which are easily available, can be applied for analysis of baboon samples.     

Quantitative detection of Listeria monocytogenes in biofilms by real-time PCR

A quantitative method based on a real-time PCR assay to enumerate Listeria monocytogenes in biofilms was developed. The specificity for L. monocytogenes of primers targeting the listeriolysin gene was demonstrated using a SYBR Green I real-time PCR assay. The number of L. monocytogenes detected growing in biofilms was 6 x 10(2) CFU/cm2.     

SYBR Green I荧光RT-PCR检测犬瘟热方法的建立和应用

根据GenBank发表的犬瘟热病毒（CDV）的F基因序列,经过分析在F片段的保守区域内设计引物,建立了SYBR Green I荧光RT-PCR检测CDV的方法,并通过对厦门市宠物医院收集的临床发病和疑似发病的犬病料（包括眼分泌物、鼻拭子、唾液、血液、尿液等）的检测,结果表明,本研究建立的快速检测CDV的SYBR Green I荧光RT-PCR方法具有特异性强、灵敏度高、操作简便等优点,值得推广应用。     

Detection of replication-defective hepatitis A virus based on the correlation between real-time polymerase chain reaction and ELISA in situ results

ELISA in situ can be used to titrate hepatitis A virus (HAV) particles and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been shown to be a fast method to quantify the HAV genome. Precise quantification of viral concentration is necessary to distinguish between infectious and non-infectious particles. The purpose of this study was to compare cell culture and RT-PCR quantification results and determine whether HAV genome quantification can be correlated with infectivity. For this purpose, three stocks of undiluted, five-fold diluted and 10-fold diluted HAV were prepared to inoculate cells in a 96-well plate. Monolayers were then incubated for seven, 10 and 14 days and the correlation between the ELISA in situ and RT-PCR results was evaluated. At 10 days post-incubation, the highest viral load was observed in all stocks of HAV via RT-PCR (10⁵ copies/mL) (p = 0.0002), while ELISA revealed the highest quantity of particles after 14 days (optical density = 0.24, p < 0.001). At seven days post-infection, there was a significant statistical correlation between the results of the two methods, indicating equivalents titres of particles and HAV genome during this period of infection. The results reported here indicate that the duration of growth of HAV in cell culture must be taken into account to correlate genome quantification with infectivity.     

Evaluation of DNA extraction methods for use in combination with SYBR green I real-time PCR to detect Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis in poultry

The objective of this study was to develop a rapid, reproducible, and robust method for detecting Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis in poultry samples. First, for the extraction and purification of DNA from the preenrichment culture, four methods (boiling, alkaline lysis, Nucleospin, and Dynabeads DNA Direct System I) were compared. The most effective method was then combined with a real-time PCR method based on the double-stranded DNA binding dye SYBR Green I used with the ABI Prism 7700 system. The specificity of the reaction was determined by the melting temperature (T(m)) of the amplicon obtained. The experiments were conducted both on samples of chicken experimentally contaminated with serotype Enteritidis and on commercially available poultry samples, which were also used for comparisons with the standard cultural method (i.e., ISO 6579/2001). The results of comparisons among the four DNA extraction methods showed significant differences except for the results from the boiling and Nucleospin methods (the two methods that produced the lowest threshold cycles). Boiling was selected as the preferred extraction method because it is the simplest and most rapid. This method was then combined with SYBR Green I real-time PCR, using primers SEFA-1 and SEFA-2. The specificity of the reaction was confirmed by the T(m), which was consistently specific for the amplicon obtained; the mean peak T(m) obtained with curves specific for serotype Enteritidis was 82.56 +/- 0.22 degrees C. The standard curve constructed using the mean threshold cycle and various concentrations of serotype Enteritidis (ranging from 10(3) to 10(8) CFU/ml) showed good linearity (R(2) = 0.9767) and a sensitivity limit of less than 10(3) CFU/ml. The results of this study demonstrate that the SYBR Green I real-time PCR constitutes an effective and easy-to-perform method for detecting serotype Enteritidis in poultry samples.     

A FRET-based analysis of SNPs without fluorescent probes

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a simple procedure for detecting specific DNA sequences, and is therefore used in many fields. However, the cost is relatively high, because FRET-based methods usually require fluorescent probes. We have designed a cost-effective way of using FRET, and developed a novel approach for the genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and allele frequency estimation. The key feature of this method is that it uses a DNA-binding fluorogenic molecule, SYBR Green I, as an energy donor for FRET. In this method, single base extension is performed with dideoxynucleotides labeled with an orange dye and a red dye in the presence of SYBR Green I. The dyes incorporated into the extended products accept energy from SYBR Green I and emit fluorescence. We have validated the method with ten SNPs, which were successfully discriminated by end-point measurements of orange and red fluorescence intensity in a microplate fluorescence reader. Using a mixture of homozygous samples, we also confirmed the potential of this method for estimation of allele frequency. Application of this strategy to large-scale studies will reduce the time and cost of genotyping a vast number of SNPs.     

A comparison of RT-PCR-based assays for the detection of HAV from shellfish

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common cause of viral infection linked to shellfish consumption. The lack of correlation between the fecal coliform indicators and the presence of enteric viruses in shellfish and their harvesting waters points to the need for molecular methods to detect viruses. We compared two RT-PCR based techniques currently available for the detection of the hepatitis A virus (HAV) in shellfish. Both approaches involve extraction of viral particles by glycine buffer and concentration of virus particles by one or two PEG precipitation steps. One procedure involves as RNA extraction method the use of oligo (dT) cellulose to select poly (A) RNA, and the other uses a system in which total RNA is bound on silica membrane. Comparison of the two RT-PCR based methods highlighted the efficiency of the first approach which is less time-consuming and technically demanding than the second.