Quick Review Cards for Medical Laboratory Science

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