PCR applications in pathology

From The Critics

Reviewer: Mark A. Jandreski, PhD(Loyola University Medical Center)
Description: This is a new book that contains some overviews of procedures for the analysis of infectious and inherited diseases using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a biological technique used to amplify nucleic acid sequences.
Purpose: According to the editor, "The aim of this work therefore is to present in a simple manner the applications of PCR in the area of infectious and inherited diseases so that the methods can be readily used by non-molecular biologists who need them." A book that will help the pathologist "readily" incorporate PCR into the clinical laboratory is certainly needed. However, this book fails very badly in meeting its objective because of its lack of detailed information with regard to basic considerations such as technologist time, economics, patient populations, home brew assays versus purchased kits, space requirements, and the ever-present problem of contamination.
Audience: According to the book editor, the book is meant to help the non-molecular biologist deal with PCR. I believe the book is geared toward someone who has a great deal of familiarity and experience in the field of molecular biology as well as pathology. The majority of the authors appear to be more involved with basic research and are also not in the pathology field. More authors who routinely use PCR techniques in the clinical laboratory may have helped this book.
Features: The book contains too few illustrations. The references are current and pertinent, although some chapters have too few references for the material covered. The table of contents is adequately laid out, but the index is too short.
Assessment: Unless readers have access to a major medical center library, they will be hard pressed to "readily" bring PCR into the laboratory using this book. Too little fundamental material is presented by the authors, and practical information that should be in this book is only referenced. Pathologists and clinical laboratory directors will need to consider economics, space, personnel, and patient population before bringing PCR into the routine clinical laboratory. Had the authors considered these issues and also described in detail the pitfalls associated with PCR, they might have produced a much better book.

Mark A. Jandreski

This is a new book that contains some overviews of procedures for the analysis of infectious and inherited diseases using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a biological technique used to amplify nucleic acid sequences. According to the editor, ^^The aim of this work therefore is to present in a simple manner the applications of PCR in the area of infectious and inherited diseases so that the methods can be readily used by non-molecular biologists who need them.^^ A book that will help the pathologist ^^readily^^ incorporate PCR into the clinical laboratory is certainly needed. However, this book fails very badly in meeting its objective because of its lack of detailed information with regard to basic considerations such as technologist time, economics, patient populations, home brew assays versus purchased kits, space requirements, and the ever-present problem of contamination. According to the book editor, the book is meant to help the non-molecular biologist deal with PCR. I believe the book is geared toward someone who has a great deal of familiarity and experience in the field of molecular biology as well as pathology. The majority of the authors appear to be more involved with basic research and are also not in the pathology field. More authors who routinely use PCR techniques in the clinical laboratory may have helped this book. The book contains too few illustrations. The references are current and pertinent, although some chapters have too few references for the material covered. The table of contents is adequately laid out, but the index is too short. Unless readers have access to a major medical center library, they will be hard pressed to ""readily"" bring PCR into thelaboratory using this book. Too little fundamental material is presented by the authors, and practical information that should be in this book is only referenced. Pathologists and clinical laboratory directors will need to consider economics, space, personnel, and patient population before bringing PCR into the routine clinical laboratory. Had the authors considered these issues and also described in detail the pitfalls associated with PCR, they might have produced a much better book.

2 Stars from Doody