Clinical Applications of Molecular Diagnosis
Molecular Diagnostics
(MDx) Review 573
DISCIPLINE APPLICATIONS
Microbiology
Blood banking
Coagulation
Hematology
Immunology
Cytogenetics
Histocompatibility
Detection of microorganisms, e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Legionella, Chlamydia trachomatis, N. gonorrhoea,
Gardnerella, Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida, groups A and B streptococci, HIV, HBV, HCV, CMV, HPV, HSV
Viral load testing, e.g., HIV, HCV, HBV, CMV, EBV
Genotyping to determine antimicrobial resistance, e.g., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA),
vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), M. tuberculosis, HIV, HCV
Epidemiology
Classification
Screening donors for bloodborne pathogens: HIV, HBV, HCV, West Nile virus
Detection of factor V Leiden, von Willebrand’s disease
Dx & classification of B- & T-cell malignancies, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas; monitoring of therapy & remission
Dx of HIV, HBV, HCV, CMV infections, measurement of cytokine activity
Dx of genetic diseases, e.g., sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s chorea, Duchenne-type muscular
dystrophy, hemochromatosis.
Dx of carrier state, e.g., Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy, von Willebrand’s disease.
HLA typing, detection of polymorphisms in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes