Advances in the diagnosis of respiratory tract infections: Role of the Luminex xTAG respiratory viral panel

Abstract

Clinical laboratories providing an etiological diagnosis of respiratory tract infections (RTI) have increasingly relied on nucleic acid amplification tests. Polymerase chain reaction-based methods are becoming more standardized, and several have undergone the scrutiny of regulatory agencies mandated to assess the risks and benefits of implementing pathogen-detection assays into diagnostic algorithms. Respiratory viruses lead to both upper and lower RTI and are implicated in exacerbations of chronic pulmonary conditions. Viruses from different taxonomic families present with overlapping clinical signs and symptoms, necessitating an accurate laboratory diagnosis. The clinical utility of diagnostic algorithms incorporating tests for respiratory viruses will depend on the breadth of pathogen coverage and the time to reliable and actionable results. This review covers strategies for detecting a panel of respiratory viruses employed over the last decade that have enabled an etiological diagnosis of RTI in a cost-effective manner. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.