The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the global molecular diagnostic professional society, has published a review of the current benefits and challenges to using multiplex PCR panels for the detection of microbial pathogens from gastrointestinal, central nervous system, lower respiratory tract, and joint specimens.
The manuscript, a joint consensus report, is titled Exploring the Utility of Multiplex Infectious Disease Panel Testing for Diagnosis of Infection in Different Body Sites: A Joint Report of the Association for Molecular Pathology, American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and Pan American Society for Clinical Virology (PASCV), was released online ahead of publication in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
Multiplex molecular panels continue to be adopted by more clinical laboratories for the detection of microbial pathogens in a wider range of settings. Although there is substantial data demonstrating the clinical impact of multiplex panels for respiratory pathogens, there is relatively less information available from other body sites. The AMP Infectious Diseases Multiplex Working Group conducted a review on the use of multiplex PCR panels for the detection of pathogens from gastrointestinal, central nervous system, lower respiratory tract, and joint specimens. The report also highlighted future directions and novel approaches to detection of pathogens in alternate specimen types, and outlined challenges associated with the implementation of these multiplex PCR panels.
“Molecular multiplex panels are quickly supplanting conventional pathogen detection methods,” said Michael A Lewinski, PhD, Chair of the AMP Infectious Diseases Multiplex Working Group. “This new report offers a detailed snapshot of the various clinical and analytical benefits and challenges associated with these panels for diagnosis of infection in different body sites. We also raise a few questions that warrant further study.”
- Lewinski MA, Alby K, Babady NE, et al. Exploring the Utility of Multiplex Infectious Disease Panel Testing for Diagnosis of Infection in Different Body Sites: A Joint Report of the Association for Molecular Pathology, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Pan American Society for Clinical Virology [published online ahead of print, 2023 Sep 25]. J Mol Diagn. 2023;S1525-1578(23)00209-X. doi:10.1016/j.jmoldx.2023.08.005