TY - JOUR
T1 - Recent advances and challenges of RT-PCR tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19
AU - Teymouri, Manoucher
AU - Mollazadeh, Samaneh
AU - Mortazavi, Hamed
AU - Naderi Ghale-noie, Zari
AU - Keyvani, Vahideh
AU - Aghababaei, Farzaneh
AU - Hamblin, Michael R.
AU - Abbaszadeh-Goudarzi, Ghasem
AU - Pourghadamyari, Hossein
AU - Hashemian, Seyed Mohammad Reza
AU - Mirzaei, Hamed
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier GmbH
PY - 2021/5
Y1 - 2021/5
N2 - Since the outbreak of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the control of virus spread has remained challenging given the pitfalls of the current diagnostic tests. Nevertheless, RNA amplification techniques have been the gold standard among other diagnostic methods for monitoring clinical samples for the presence of the virus. In the current paper, we review the shortcomings and strengths of RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) techniques for diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19. We address the repercussions of false-negative and false-positive rates encountered in the test, summarize approaches to improve the overall sensitivity of this method. We discuss the barriers to the widespread use of the RT-PCR test, and some technical advances, such as RT-LAMP (reverse-transcriptase-loop mediated isothermal amplification). We also address how other molecular techniques, such as immunodiagnostic tests can be used to avoid incorrect interpretation of RT-PCR tests.
AB - Since the outbreak of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the control of virus spread has remained challenging given the pitfalls of the current diagnostic tests. Nevertheless, RNA amplification techniques have been the gold standard among other diagnostic methods for monitoring clinical samples for the presence of the virus. In the current paper, we review the shortcomings and strengths of RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) techniques for diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19. We address the repercussions of false-negative and false-positive rates encountered in the test, summarize approaches to improve the overall sensitivity of this method. We discuss the barriers to the widespread use of the RT-PCR test, and some technical advances, such as RT-LAMP (reverse-transcriptase-loop mediated isothermal amplification). We also address how other molecular techniques, such as immunodiagnostic tests can be used to avoid incorrect interpretation of RT-PCR tests.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Diagnostic tests
KW - Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification
KW - Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Serologic tests
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105830823&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.prp.2021.153443
DO - 10.1016/j.prp.2021.153443
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33930607
AN - SCOPUS:85105830823
SN - 0344-0338
VL - 221
JO - Pathology Research and Practice
JF - Pathology Research and Practice
M1 - 153443
ER -
