PCR is now routinely used to
diagnose specific bacterial and viral pathogenic infections. These assays
have exploited the existence of pathogen specific DNA sequences to amplify
specific regions of the pathogen genome. The amplified product thus
obtained (which can be visualised by agarose gel electrophoresis) helps in
diagnosis of specific infections.
The choice of the specific genome
sequence (and the sequence of the primer pair) has been, by various
investigations, made on the basis of considerations of high sensitivity
and specificity for the pathogen of interest. There is usually no unique
choice of primer pair for a specific pathogen and literature has several
alternative choices of primer pairs (and the region of PCR amplification)
depending on the group carrying out the studies.
From among various alternate
choices we have chosen one primer pair (and an internal oligo probe in
some cases) for each pathogen ; the reference is given in each case. There
are alternative choices (based on existing published literature) of primer
pairs for the pathogens listed, as well as for other pathogens which might
be of interest to the pathologists. These can be synthesised on request.
