0000000000042688
AUTHOR
Peter Simmonds
A European multicentre evaluation of detection and typing methods for human enteroviruses and parechoviruses using RNA transcripts
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection has become the gold standard for diagnosis and typing of enterovirus (EV) and human parechovirus (HPeV) infections. Its effectiveness depends critically on using the appropriate sample types and high assay sensitivity as viral loads in cerebrospinal fluid samples from meningitis and sepsis clinical presentation can be extremely low. This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of currently used commercial and in‐house diagnostic and typing assays. Accurately quantified RNA transcript controls were distributed to 27 diagnostic and 12 reference laboratories in 17 European countries for blinded testing. Transcripts represented the four human EV…
Clinical evaluation of a single reaction, diagnostic polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of hepatitis C virus RNA
Abstract Backgrounds/Aims :In the past few years the detection of HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction has become a well-established diagnostic tool for patients with chronic hepatitis C. However, the lack of reproducible results between laboratories and the relatively high proportion of false-positive results, has indicated the need for a standardized and reliable polymerase chain reaction assay. In the present study we have analyzed the performance of a commercial, HCV-RNA polymerase chain reaction assay based on a single, combined reverse transcription and amplification reaction and on the use of Uracil-N-glycosilase to prevent carry-over contamination (Amplicor HCV, Roche Molecular Syst…
Recommendations for enterovirus diagnostics and characterisation within and beyond Europe
Enteroviruses (EV) can cause severe neurological and respiratory infections, and occasionally lead to devastating outbreaks as previously demonstrated with EV-A71 and EV-D68 in Europe. However, these infections are still often underdiagnosed and EV typing data is not currently collected at European level. In order to improve EV diagnostics, collate data on severe EV infections and monitor the circulation of EV types, we have established European non-polio enterovirus network (ENPEN). First task of this cross-border network has been to ensure prompt and adequate diagnosis of these infections in Europe, and hence we present recommendations for non-polio EV detection and typing based on the co…