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Updated: Jul 18, 2025
High-throughput Detection of Respiratory Pathogens in Animal Specimens by Nanoscale PCR
Published on: November 28, 2016
Comparison of analytical sensitivity of DNA-based and RNA-based nucleic acid amplification tests for reproductive
Yu Ma1,2,3, Jian Jiang1,2,3, Yanxi Han1,3
1National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology , Beijing, China.
Importance:
Reproductive tract infections have considerable effects on the health of humans. CT, NG , and UU are common pathogens. Although evaluation of DNA-based tests has already existed, the comparison between DNA-based and RNA-based tests is rare. Therefore, this study compared the limits of detection of the two tests on the same experimental conditions. Results suggested that most DNA-based NAATs could detect CT, NG, and UU at DNA concentrations lower than 1,000 copies/mL, while RNA-based NAATs could detect bacteria at RNA concentrations around 3,000 copies/mL. Considering the copy number of RNA per bacterium is dynamic through the growth cycle, further comparison is combined with a schematic of bacterial dynamics. Results suggested that in terms of the analytical sensitivity of pathogen detection, RNA tests are more suitable for detecting active infection and recovery phase, while DNA tests are more suitable for detection in the early stage of infection.
