Inventors:
Pamela A. Groen - Cincinnati OH
David P. Witte - Cincinnati OH
Assignee:
Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Research Foundation - Cincinnati OH
International Classification:
C07H 2100
US Classification:
536 2433, 536 243, 536 2432, 536 231, 536 2372, 435 4, 435 5, 435 6, 435 912
Abstract:
The present invention provides novel compositions comprising Epstein-Barr virus-specific oligonucleotides that are useful as primers to amplify particular regions of the genome during enzymatic nucleic acid amplification. The invention also provides a rapid, sensitive and specific method for the detection and quantitation of the virus which may be present in a clinical specimen, using the virus-specific primers and enzymatic nucleic acid amplification; hybridization of amplified target sequences, if present, with one or more Epstein-Barr virus-specific oligonucleotide probes which are labeled with a detectable moiety; and detection of the detectable moiety of labeled oligonucleotide probe hybridized to amplified target sequences of Epstein-Barr virus DNA.