Brief Review: Preventing PCR Amplification Carryover Contamination

Abstract. During the past two decades PCR and several other DNA/RNA amplification techniques have become important diagnostic tools in clinical laboratories. Amplification products contamination has been the main impediment to using these techniques routinely in diagnostic laboratories. Over the years, several creative pre- and post-amplification methods have been developed that prevent amplicon carryover contamination. These procedures, coupled with automated systems that employ real-time amplification and simultaneous detection in a closed system, have substantially reduced the possibility of false positive results due to amplification products carryover contamination. (received 28 July 2004; accepted 15 September 2004