Early diagnosis of rare virus on Multiplex Realtime PCR at Sterling Accuris lab

Dr. Sanjeev Shah, Clinical Director, Sterling Accuris

• Multiplex Realtime PCR is a highly sensitive and specific technology to produce considerable savings of time and effort within the laboratory without compromising test utility

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 19: Early and accurate medical test reports hold utmost significance for timely and accurate diagnosis of a patient’s illness. It helps the treating doctor make informed decisions and start targeted treatment immediately.

Sterling Accuris Pathology, has pioneered the Multiplex Realtime PCR test for diagnosis of various viruses, bacteria and fungal affecting the respiratory tract and the central nervous system. It is a highly recommended test by clinicians for patients having symptoms of fever, sore throat, shortness of breath with respiratory distress and cough who remain unresponsive to treatment for a prolonged period of time.

Recently, a 64 years old male patient from Ahmedabad, suffering from symptoms of high-grade fever and other clinical signs of having infection like sore throat, cough, etc, was advised to undergo few specialised tests at Sterling Accuris Diagnostic Lab. But the results were inconclusive and subsequently the consulting doctor instructed the pathologist at Sterling Accuris to perform further specific tests. Time was a deciding factor as the patient’s symptoms were getting worse over time.

Hence the pathologist at Sterling Accuris conducted a Multiplex Realtime PCR test, which covers multiple pathogens in a single procedure and aids in quicker reporting and accurate diagnosis. Interestingly, the test revealed EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) positivity.

EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) is a virus that primarily causes Infectious Mononucleosis and other diseases like Burkitt’s Lymphoma, Autoimmune diseases, etc.

Patient was put on targeted regimen for the same by the consulting physician and positive response was observed with full recovery in subsequent days.

The decision to use multiplex PCR for diagnosis depends on the type of viral infection suspected and the clinical presentation of the patient

Commenting on this, Dr. Sanjeev Shah, Clinical Director, Sterling Accuris  said, “The multiplex Realtime PCR, often abbreviated as Realtime m Realtime PCR, is an excellent variant of the conventional PCR in which using different sets of primers, different DNA templates or various regions of a gene can be amplified, in a single reaction. The benefits of Multiplex PCR are that the patient recovers in a timely manner, with a quick report and early diagnosis of the infectious virus before the patient’s condition deteriorates. This method can greatly reduce the time and effort required to diagnose infectious diseases.”

To understand how it works, imagine you have a puzzle with many small pieces that need to be put together. Instead of putting each piece together separately, you can use multiple hands to work on different parts of the puzzle simultaneously, making the process faster and more efficient. Similarly, in Multiplex PCR, multiple DNA sequences are amplified for target genes at the same time using multiple sets of primers. Primers are short DNA molecules that act as starting points for DNA synthesis by attaching to specific regions of the DNA template.

By designing different sets of primers that bind specifically to different target DNA sequences, scientists can amplify all the target sequences in a single reaction. This saves time, reduces reagent costs, and minimizes sample handling, making the technique highly efficient and cost-effective.

Sterling Accuris Wellness Pvt Ltd was founded in 2015 and is one of India’s fastest-growing chains of diagnostic labs, with more than 60 labs and 150 collection centres. Over time, it has become one of the fastest-growing chains of NABL-accredited pathology laboratories, with a strong presence in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and the NCR. It offers more than 2000 different tests, using the most advanced state-of-the-art technology and highly skilled professionals.

As the world advances in the field of diagnostic pathology with molecular and cytogenetic techniques, India is also on the same wave-length as the rest of the world. Sterling Accuris is a home-grown diagnostic chain making significant technological advances in diagnostic pathology at affordable rates.

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