PCR, developed at Cetus Corporation/USA by Henry A. Erlich, Kary Mullis and Randall K. Saiki, is a very simple method for amplifying nucleic acids in vitro. The realization of this idea bases on the repetition of a set of three different temperatures and yields an increase of the target structure up to a factor of 106 to 1012. Therefore, this technique is predisposed for safe analysis and characterization of DNA and RNA sequences of interest, even where the starting amount of material is enormously small. Because of its sensitivity, speed and versatility this method is particularly suitable for investigations of oncogenes, tumor associated translocations, retroviral sequences, lymphokines and mainly the broad field of degenerative and inflammatory diseases of nervous system. PCR seems to be the technique which could overcome the two most important problems in that field: very small amount of material combined with the necessity of rapid diagnostic procedures in inflammatory infections. "PCR topics" will give an actual overview of basic and applied research fields on usage of polymerase chain reaction. All contributions to this book have been presented at an international congress on "Usage of Polymerase chain reaction in genetic and infectious diseases" which took place in june 1990 in Berlin. The editors wish to thank all participants for their contributions. We offer our thanks and gratitude to our coworkers and especially to our technical assistents Barbara Trampenau, Mirjana Wiirdemann and Hannelore Leonhard.

Basic Methodology and Research Applications

Quantitation of mRNA by the Polymerase Chain Reaction
Sequencing of PCR Products - Analysis of Factor IX Genes and of Recombination Events in Immunoglobulin Genes
Alternative Methods for DNA Probing in Diagnosis: Ligase Chain Reaction (LCR)
Application of PCR to the Detection and Analysis of Point Mutations in the Human Factor VIII Gene
The Use of PCR in the Diagnosis of Muscle Disease
Taq DNA Polymerase-Synthesized Single-Stranded DNA Hybridization Probes and their Application in Northern Blotting and in situ Hybridization
Computer Program for the Selection of PCR Primers
Nervous System Cross Reactivity Sequences
The Use of Short Adapters for Priming PCR of Unknown Chromosomal DNA Fragments
Labeling of Specific DNA Sequences With Digoxigenin during Polymerase Chain Reaction
Quantitative Analysis of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Products by Means of Fluorescence Detection
Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-PCR) of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) mRNA
False Positive Reactions in PCR
Error Production and Error Propagation During PCR
Genetics and Evolution
PCR in Linkage Analysis of Genetic Diseases
Amplification, Isolation and Direct Nucleotide Determination of Entire Genes: Application to the Study of 16S rRNAs for Molecular Evolution in Bacteria, Identification of Cultural Isolates and Development of Probes
Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis - Detection of the Gene Deletion Delta F 508
Application of PCR for Prenatal Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
The Use of Non-Viable Cultured Amniotic Fluid Cells for Prenatal Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis by Polymerase Chain Reaction
Determination of Glutathione S-Transferase u Genotype in Humans by PCR-Amplified Gene-Probes
Rapid Apolipoprotein E GenotypeIdentification
Detection and Characterization of Viral Infections
Herpes Viruses
Detection of Herpes Viruses by PCR - Diagnostic Aspects
Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis (HSVE) by Polymerase Chain Reaction
Rapid Detection of CMV-Specific DNA and mRNA by PCR in Immunocompromised Patients
Specific and Sensitive Detection of Cytomegalovirus DNA in Clinical Specimens by PCR
Detection of EBNA2-mRNA in Primary Central Nervous System Lymphomas in Patients with AIDS
Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus Genomes in Lymphoproliferative Diseases
Screening of Lymphatic Tissues for the Presence of Human Herpesvirus 6 DNA Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Retroviruses
HTLV Retrovirus in Neurological Disease
Use of PCR to Investigate the Cellular Tropism of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type I
Viral Genome Sequences in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum of HIV-1 Infected but Asymptomatic Patients
Hepatitis Viruses
PCR Detection of HBV Replication in Anti-HBeAg Chronic Carriers with Pre-S Antigenemia
Detection of Virus DNA by PCR in Hepatitis Non-A, Non-B
Hepatitis B Virus DNA - Identification by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Correlation with Serological HBV Markers
Detection and Characterization of Bacterial Infections
Rapid Diagnosis of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection by PCR
Detection of Chlamydia Trachomatis by PCR
The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to Detect Gene Sequences of Borrelia Burgdorferi, the Etiologic Agent of Lyme Disease
Rapid Diagnosis of Human Listeriosis Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction
Oncogenes
Quantitation of Mdr1 Transcript by PCR a Tool for Monitoring Drug Resistance in Cancer Chemotherapy
Ras Oncogene Mutations in Renal Cell Cancer
Primer Mismatch Analysis: a Rapid and Non-IsotopicMethod for Analysing Ras Mutations in Human Cancer
Expression of Adenovirus Type 12 13S Gene Product is Sufficient to Immortalize Primary Mouse Cells
PCR-Based Rapid Detection of the Philadelphia-Chromosome in Chronic Myelogenous and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
List of Contributors.