Diagnostic compositions, elements, methods and test kits for amplification and detection of retroviral DNA using primers having matched melting temperatures

摘要

An aqueous composition containing primers for opposing strands of a target retroviral DNA (such as HIV-I DNA) can be used in polymerase chain reaction to provide simultaneously rapid and efficient amplification and detection of that target DNA and one or more additional target DNA's. The primers for each target DNA differ in length by no more than 5 nucleotides and have a Tm within the range of from about 65 DEG to about 74 DEG C., while all of the Tm's are within about 5 DEG C. of each other. Such compositions are useful in diagnostic test kits and methods for amplification and detection of multiple nucleic acids, or in "multiplexing", using multiple capture probes, all of which have Tm's which are greater than 50 DEG C. and within 15 DEG C. of each other.