Chip ligating human genomic DNA serves as storage material and template for polymerase chain reaction

Development of a clinical microarray system for genetic analysis screening

Objectives

Research on the relationship between diseases and genes and the advancement of genetic analysis technologies have made genetic testing in medical care possible. There are various methods for genetic testing, including PCR-based methods and next-generation sequencing; however, screening tests in clinical laboratories are becoming more diverse; therefore, novel measurement systems and equipment are required to meet the needs of each situation. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel microarray-based genetic analysis system that uses a Peltier element to overcome the issues of conventional microarrays, such as the long measurement time and high cost.

Methods

We constructed a microarray system to detect the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase gene polymorphisms UGT1A1*6 and UGT1A1*28 in patients eligible for irinotecan hydrochloride treatment for use in clinical laboratories. To evaluate the performance of the system, the hybridization temperature and reaction time were determined, and the results were compared with those obtained using a conventional hybridization oven.

Results

The hybridization temperature reached its target in 1/27th of the time required by the conventional system. We assessed 111 human clinical samples and found that our results agreed with those obtained using existing methods. The total time for the newly developed device was reduced by 85 min compared to that for existing methods, as the automated DNA microarray eliminates the time that existing methods spend on manual operation.

Conclusions

The surface treatment technology used in our system enables high-density and strong DNA fixation, allowing the construction of a measurement system suitable for clinical applications.

Influence of segmenting fluids on efficiency, crossing point and fluorescence level in real time quantitative PCR

The two-phase segmented flow approach to the processing and quantitative analysis of biological samples in microdevices offers significant advantages over the single-phase continuous flow methodology. Despite this, little is known about the compatibility of samples and reactants with segmenting fluids, although a number of investigators have reported reduced yield and inhibition of enzymatic reactions depending on the segmenting fluid employed. The current study addresses the compatibility of various segmenting fluids with real time quantitative PCR to understand the physicochemical requirements of this important reaction in biotechnology. The results demonstrate that creating a static segmenting fluid/PCR mix interface has a negligible impact on the reaction efficiency, crossing threshold and end fluorescence levels using a variety of segmenting fluids. The implication is then that the previously reported inhibitory effects are the result of the dynamic motion between the segmenting fluid and the sample in continuously flowing systems. The results presented here are a first step towards understanding the limitations of the segmented flow methodology, which are necessary to bring this approach into mainstream use.