[Clinical Significance of Next-Generation Molecular Testing Systems for the Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control]

Abstract

The clinical significance of molecular testing for the diagnosis of infectious diseases and infection control has been increasing. Traditional molecular tests which required special pretreatment, such as nucleic acid extraction and pretreatment processes, have depended on manual methods. Therefore, different results were frequently observed between various methods and/or among facilities. In order to solve these problems, automated machines for nucleic acid extraction have been developed. Automated nucleic acid extraction systems, which automatize the nucleic acid separation and refinement processes, prevent contamination, reduce human errors, allow for stable processing, minimize differences among facilities, and promote the standardization of molecular tests. Rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases using various simplified molecular testing methods has led to increased success rates of infectious disease treatment and infection control measures by utilizing rapidity and accuracy. Herein, we introduce four automated molecular testing systems: Cepheid Xpert, BD MAX, Seegene kit, and Hologic Gen-Probe PANTHER system.