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. 2017 Feb 20;32(2):139–146. doi: 10.1007/s12250-016-3863-9

Evaluation of real-time RT-PCR assays for detection and quantification of norovirus genogroups I and II

Kitwadee Rupprom 1, Porntip Chavalitshewinkoon-Petmitr 2, Pornphan Diraphat 1, Leera Kittigul 1,✉
PMCID: PMC6598896  PMID: 28224385

Abstract

Noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in humans. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) is a promising molecular method for the detection of noroviruses. In this study, the performance of three TaqMan real-time RT-PCR assays was assessed, which were one commercially available real-time RT-PCR kit (assay A: Norovirus Real Time RT-PCR kit) and two in-house real-time RT-PCR assays (assay B: LightCycler RNA Master Hybprobe and assay C: RealTime ready RNA Virus Master). Assays A and B showed higher sensitivity than assay C for norovirus GI, while they all had the same sensitivity (103 DNA copies/mL) for GII DNA standard controls. Assay B had the highest efficiency for both genogroups. No cross-reactivity was observed among GI and GII noroviruses, rotavirus, hepatitis A virus, and poliovirus. The detection rates of these assays in GI and GII norovirus-positive fecal samples were not significantly different. However, the mean quantification cycle (Cq) value of assay B for GII was lower than assays A and C with statistical significance (P-value, 0.000). All three real-time RT-PCR assays could detect a variety of noroviruses including GI.2, GII.2, GII.3, GII.4, GII.6, GII.12, GII.17, and GII.21. This study suggests assay B as a suitable assay for the detection and quantification of noroviruses GI and GII due to good analytical sensitivity and higher performance to amplify norovirus on DNA standard controls and clinical samples.

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Keywords: norovirus, genogroup, real-time RT-PCR, quantification

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by research grant from the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) through the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. program (Grant No. PHD/0085/2554), and the Thai Government Budget through Mahidol University, fiscal year 2015‒2017. The authors thank The Language Center, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University for editorial assistance.

Footnotes

ORCID: 0000-0003-3519-7862

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