Conventional PCR techniques are laborious and usually not suited for fast screening of large sample numbers in a clinical or research setting. Using this closed-tube multiplex real-time PCR, the presence of all 11 Streptococcus pyogenes superantigen (SAg) genes can be rapidly and accurately characterized. Identifying whether a strain contains a SAg can be done within 4 h compared to conventional methods which would take 11 times as long. This method provides an excellent diagnostic tool as well as a screening tool to help researchers clarify the role of SAgs in S. pyogenes infections.
Keywords: MHC class II; Multiplex PCR; Streptococcus; Superantigens; T-cell proliferation; T-cell receptor; Toxin genes.