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We evaluated the performance characteristics of three real-time reverse transcription-PCR test systems for detection and quantification of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and performed a direct comparison of the systems on the same clinical specimens. Commercial HCV panels (genotype 1b) were used to evaluate linear range, sensitivity, and precision. The Roche COBAS TaqMan HCV test for research use only (RUO) with samples processed on the MagNA Pure LC instrument (Roche RUO-MPLC) and Abbott analyte-specific reagents (ASR) with QIAGEN sample processing (Abbott ASR-Q) showed a sensitivity of 1.0 log 10 IU/ml with a linear dynamic range of 1.0 to 7.0 log 10 IU/ml. The Roche ASR in combination with the High Pure system (Roche ASR-HP) showed a sensitivity of 1.4 log 10 IU/ml with a linear dynamic range of 2.0 to 7.0 log 10 IU/ml. All of the systems showed acceptable reproducibility, the Abbott ASR-Q being the most reproducible of the three systems. Seventy-six clinical specimens (50 with detectable levels of HCV RNA and various titers and genotypes) were tested, and results were compared to those of the COBAS Amplicor HCV Monitor v2.0. Good correlation was obtained for the Roche RUO-MPLC and Abbott ASR-Q ( R 2 = 0.84 and R 2 = 0.93, respectively), with better agreement for the Abbott ASR-Q. However, correlation ( R 2 = 0.79) and agreement were poor for Roche ASR-HP, with bias relative to concentration and genotype. Roche ASR-HP underestimated HCV RNA for genotypes 3 and 4 as much as 2.19 log 10 IU/ml. Our study demonstrates that Roche RUO-MPLC and Abbott ASR-Q provided acceptable results and agreed sufficiently with the COBAS Amplicor HCV Monitor v2.0.

Allelic variants at codons 16 and 27 of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor gene (ADRB2) have shown clinical and pharmacological implications in asthma, hypertension, ischemic heart failure, diabetes, obesity, and cystic fibrosis. We have developed a simultaneous genotyping assay for the c.46AG and c.79CG allelic variants using hybridization probes and melting curve analysis. The assay was optimized on a panel of 30 DNA samples of known ADRB2 genotype as determined by sequencing with 100% concordance between the two techniques. Melting temperature (Tm) ranges for the different genotypes were obtained using data from three independent experiments. Single peaks for p.Arg16Arg (Tm = 57.76 degrees C +/- 0.10 degrees C) and p.Gly16Gly (Tm = 66.73 degrees C +/- 0.18 degrees C) and two melting peaks for p.Arg16Gly were obtained. Similarly, single peaks for p.Gln27Gln (Tm = 53.98 degrees C +/- 0.19 degrees C) and p.Glu27Glu (Tm = 64.93 degrees C +/- 0.16 degrees C) and two peaks for p.Gln27Glu were detected. Independent operators easily assigned genotypes in a sample set of 385 asthmatic patients. Haplotype and allele frequencies were in concordance with previously published data: Arg allele frequencies in children/adults were 0.34/0.30 in Caucasians and 0.45/0.52 in African Americans, and Gln allele frequencies were 0.58/0.52 in Caucasians and 0.82/0.84 in African Americans. Thus, the ADRB2 genotyping assay represents a highly reliable and rapid technique for routine clinical use in the simultaneous detection of ADRB2 variants.