Four-color multiplex 5′ nuclease assay for the simultaneous detection of the factor V Leiden and the prothrombin G20210A mutations

We developed a real-time multiplex four-color assay for the simultaneous detection of the factor V Leiden (FVL) and prothrombin (PT) G20210A mutations in one closed tube using a single thermocycling protocol. The assay combines the power of multiplex PCR with the specificity provided by allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) hybridization using the 5' nuclease assay format. Human genomic DNA is prepared from whole blood with standard procedures. A 97-bp DNA sequence of the coagulation factor V gene is co-amplified with a 111-bp DNA sequence of the coagulation factor II (PT) gene using four PCR primers. In addition, the reactions included four differentially labeled ASO probes for the specific detection of the different FVL/PT G20210A genotypes. To evaluate the assay's performance characteristics, we performed a comparison of two methods. We analyzed DNA samples from 52 individuals with known FVL/PT G20210A genotypes that were previously genotyped with an assay that combined PCR with the use of restriction fragment length polymorphisms. We found a 100% concordance between the results generated by both methodologies. We conclude that the four-color multiplex assay is specific and reproducible for the detection of the FVUPT G20210A mutations, and it can be easily adapted for the detection of other SNPs. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.