Pharmacological applications of mitochondrial DNA assays

摘要

The invention provides assays to determine the relative amount of mitochondrial DNA in a subject, such as a subject undergoing drug treatment. The subject may for example be a human patient undergoing treatment for an HIV infection with a nucleic acid precursor such as a nucleoside or nucleotide analogue. The assays of the invention may include PCR assays, such semi-quantitative or quantitative PCR involving the co-amplification of a mitochondrial sequence and a reference sequence, such as a genomic sequence. Information from such assays may be evaluated to provide a ratio of mithchondrial DNA to nuclear DNA in the cells of the subject.