POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IN VIRUS DIAGNOSIS - USES AND LIMITS

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an enzymatic oligonucleotide-directed in vitro method for the amplification of specific nucleic acid fragments. This review describes the basic technique, the advantages, in terms of the speed, sensitivity and specificity, as well as the pitfalls, such as contamination, of PCR compared to conventional techniques. Its potential in virus detection is demonstrated. A variety of current technical problems prevents the potentially widespread application of this technique.