Improved amplification of cytomegalovirus DNA from urine after purification of DNA with glass beads. Clin. Chem

Cytomegalovirus can be detected in a variety of speci-mens including leukocytes, urine, saliva, feces, and vari-ous tissues by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifi-cation of viral DNA. Although methods for amplification are fairly standard, sample preparation is not well char-acterized, especially for tissue. Typically, preparation of samples for PCR amplification ranges from simple boiling to phenol/chloroform extraction and quantification before testing. Several reports have described inhibition of the PCR in some sample types. Here we show that reliable detection of cytomegalovirus DNA in urine is obtained only after some degree of DNA purification, presumably because of PCR inhibition by a yet unidentified compo-nent present in a few of the urine samples tested. Glass, in the form of fine beads, was used to adsorb DNA suc