A molecular approach (multiplex polymerase chain reaction) for diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis

A new multiplex PCR have been developed in our laboratory using primer sets, aiming amplification of both DNA target fragments obtained in 18S rRNA of commonly encountered fungi in human being and in Rhinosporidium seeberi using F1-fw/F2-rev (500 bp target) and Rhino-fw/ Rhino-rev (377 bp target). This multiplex PCR has been found to be able to detect R. seeberi from clinical samples and differentiate it from other fungi. Furthermore, by this multiplex PCR, R. seeberi, phylogenitically appears to belong to a member of so called DRIPs clade of fish parasite not a cyanobacterium as claimed previously, by some workers.