TABLE 4.
Performance characteristics of assays
| Assay | Limit of detection (cells/ml [±SD]) | Linear range | Slope (efficiency) | Relative costa | Timeb (h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional PCR | 119 (±890) | NAc | NA | + | 7 |
| SYBR Green | 17 (±57) | 105-101 | −4.2 (72%) | ++ | 7 |
| LightCycler | 4 (±14) | 106-102 | −3.5 (90%) | ++++ | 4 |
| TaqMan 1 | 1 (±4) | 106-10−1 | −3.3 (100%) | +++ | 4 |
| TaqMan 2 | 0.5 (±1.2) | 106-10−1 | −3.5 (91%) | +++ | 4 |
a
Cost for equipment not included. The LightCycler assay requires a LightCycler thermocycler. The other real-time assays can be performed on less expensive real-time thermocyclers.
b
Estimated time from reception of specimen to final result (2 h for DNA extraction is included).
c
NA, not applicable.