Cerebrospinal fluid, polymerase chain reaction

Examination of stained specimens by microscopy or simple examination of an uncentrifuged sample of urine for white blood cells and bacteria may provide important etiologic clues in a very short time. Cultures of selected anatomic sites (blood, sputum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and stool) and nonculture methods (antigen testing, polymerase chain reaction, and serology) may also confirm specific etiologic agents. 

Aurelius E, Johansson B, Skoldenberg B, Staland A, Forsgren M. Rapid diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis by nested polymerase chain reaction assay of cerebrospinal fluid. Lancet 1991 337 ... 

Nigrovic LE, Chiang VW. Cost analysis of enteroviral polymerase chain reaction in infants with fever and cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2000 154 817-21. 

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CFU colony forming unit CNS central nervous system CSF cerebrospinal fluid CT computed tomographic DIC disseminated intravascular coagulation EV-PCR enterovirus-specific reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction... 

Scrideli, C.A., Queiroz, R.P., Takayanagui, O.M. et al. (2003) Polymerase chain reaction on cerebrospinal fluid cells in suspected leptomeningeal involvement in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia comparison to cytomorphological analysis. Diagn Mol Pathol, 12, 124—127. 

Isoelectric focusing for specific applications such as cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands is of more specialist interest. Immunoelectrophoresis (i.e., electrophoresis followed by the application of specific antibodies) for typing monoclonal gammopathies (myelomas) is the procedure of choice. Capilliary electrophoresis offers the opportunity to determine genotypes for homo or heterozygotes of, e.g., enzyme defects, following polymerase chain reaction. 

Rand, K. Houck, H. Lawrence, R. Real-time polymerase chain reaction detection of herpes simplex virus in cerebrospinal fluid and cost savings from earlier hospital discharge. J. Mol. Diagnost. 2005, 7,511-516. 

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