No abstract

No abstract

Thrombosis is considered as the most typical example of multigenic/multifactorial disorder. The three most common genetic risk factors for thrombotic disorders are the G1691A mutation in factor V gene (FV Leiden), the G20210Α mutation in prothrombin gene (FII), and the C677T mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene. An additional panel of biomarkers predisposing for thrombotic events includes the H1299R variant in factor V gene (HR2), A1298C variant in MTHFR gene, the V34L mutation in fibrinogen stabilizing factor XIII (FXIII) gene as well as the 4G/5G polymorphism in plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) gene. In this context, we report a novel, rapid and low-cost two-panel diagnostic platform for the simultaneous visual genotyping of the seven mutations (14 alleles). The proposed method comprises the following: (a) a multiplex PCR using genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood, (b) a multiplex genotyping reaction based on allele-specific primer extension, and (c) visual detection of the genotyping reaction products by means of a multi-allele dipstick-type DNA biosensor, using gold nanoparticles as reporters. The method was applied to 40, previously characterized, and 15 blind clinical samples and the results were 100 % accurate. The proposed assay is simple to perform, requires no specialized and costly equipment, and eliminates multiple pipetting, incubation, and washing steps.

During the last 5 years, it was discovered that the JAK2V617F somatic mutation is present in virtually all patients with polycythemia vera and a large proportion of patients with essential thrombocythemia, primary myelofibrosis, and refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis. As a result, JAK2V617F was incorporated as a new clonal marker in the 2008 revision of the WHO diagnostic criteria. Current methods for JAK2 genotyping include direct sequencing, pyrosequencing, allele-specific PCR with electrophoresis, restriction fragment length polymorphism, real-time PCR, DNA-melting curve analysis, and denaturing HPLC. Some of these methods are labor intensive and time consuming, while the others require specialized costly equipment and reagents. We report a method for direct detection of the JAK2V617F allele by the naked eye using a dipstick test in a dry-reagent format. The method comprises a triprimer PCR combined with visual detection of the products within minutes by the dipstick test. Specialized instrumentation is not involved. The requirements for highly qualified technical personnel are minimized. Because the detection reagents exist in dry form on the dipstick, there is no need for multiple pipetting and incubation steps.

The present study investigates the potential role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as risk factors in the development of sarcoidosis using a novel high-throughput microtiter well-based bioluminometric genotyping assay. One hundred and nineteen Greek patients with sarcoidosis and 209 control subjects were genotyped for the two SNPs of the TLR4 gene. The genotypes observed were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The heterozygote frequency for both SNPs in sarcoidosis group and control population was 13.4% (16/119) and 10.5% (22/209), respectively. The minor genotype was found to be the same for both sarcoidosis and control groups and similar to that found in other Caucasian populations. No significant association of Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms with increased susceptibility to sarcoidosis was found (p = 0.61 and odds ratio = 1.183). In conclusion, genotype data for the TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms in the Greek population were found to be in linkage disequilibrium, and no contribution in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis was established. Further, in course of the present study, we demonstrated a very simple and sensitive high-throughput bioluminometric assay for genotyping Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms in the TLR4 gene.