Principles of PCR-based assays

DNA-based assays are powerful tools to predict the blood group of an individual and are rapidly gaining in popularity. DNA, which can be extracted from various sources using commercial kits, is amplified by PCR to obtain a sufficient amount of the target of interest for analysis. There are different types of PCR assays: standard single PCR (followed by RFLP or sequencing), allele-specific PCR, multiplex PCR, and real-time PCR. Microarray platforms are a newer application of molecular testing, popular because they analyze multiple nucleotides in a single assay and have a high-throughput potential. This review briefly describes the principles of PCR-based assays that are commonly used in transfusion medicine. Immunohematology 2008;24:170–175.