earticle

영어

A method is described for the characterization of sexual transmitted diseases (STD) infections by restriction fragment mass fingerprint analysis. Through analysis of over 35,000 clinical cases, 14 pathogens which are most abundantly found among Koreans were selected and primers containing restriction enzyme region and mass fragment sequences according to each type of pathogen were designed by considering their sequences. A multiplex PCR method was established for the diagnosis of multiple infections to STD. Amplified genomic nucleic acids encoding the pathogenicity-determining region of all pathogens were digested with a restriction enzyme, and the restriction fragments were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionizationtime- of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). This method employed to diagnose reliably both single and multiple infections in clinical human samples for 14 target pathogens. The procedure described is rapid, inexpensive and compatible with automation.