A RT-PCR method for selective amplification and phenotypic characterization of all three serotypes of Sabin-related polioviruses from viral mixtures

• Main Authors: Eliane Veiga da Costa, Renata de Mendonça Campos, Fernando Neto Tavares, Cátia Regina Valério Grégio, Fernanda Marcicano Burlandy, Edson Elias da Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2012-08-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: diagnostic techniques and procedures; VP1 protein; poliovirus
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762012000500022&lng=en&tlng=en
• ISSN: 1678-8060

Outbreaks caused by vaccine-derived polioviruses are challenging the final eradication of paralytic poliomyelitis. Therefore, the surveillance of the acute flaccid paralysis cases based on poliovirus isolation and characterization remains an essential activity. Due to the use of trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), mixtures containing more than one serotype of Sabin-related polioviruses are frequently isolated from clinical samples. Because each poliovirus isolate needs to be individually analyzed, we designed polymerase chain reaction primers that can selectively distinguish and amplify a genomic segment of the three Sabin-related poliovirus serotypes present in mixtures, thus, optimizing the diagnosis and providing prompt information to support epidemiologic actions.