Gene Amplification using DNA from Human Spot Urine Samples

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the amplification of DNA from human urinary sediment for molecularepidemiological studies. Twenty-six urine samples were obtained from healthy volunteers. Polymerase chain reactions(PCR) for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), β-globin, and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) was conductedusing genomic DNA isolated from the urine. The MTHFR and β-globin genes were amplified successfully from allthe urine DNA samples while the NAT2 gene was amplified in 88.5% of cases. The median yield of DNA was 0.28 μgfrom the 10 ml urine samples, sufficient amounts of DNA being contained in urinary sediments for amplification ofall three genes. This result indicates that urine can be used as a DNA source for PCR-based molecular epidemiologicalstudies.