Nucleic acid amplification methods

Nucleic acid amplification procedures can be used to overcome the limitations of direct probe hybridization assays. A number of such systems have been described. Each method makes use of in vivo mechanisms of nucleic acid replication and repair to effect the amplification of nucleic acids in vitro. The strength of nucleic acid amplification technology, the ability to make many copies of a sequence present initially at a low concentration, is also its greatest potential weakness. Carryover contamination of amplification products represents a great risk for false positivity in these assay systems. Various methods have been developed to reduce the contamination risk, allowing the adaptation of amplified probe assays for routine use in the clinical laboratory.