Sequence-independent identification of infectious pathogens: an hypothesis.

This paper presents a theoretical polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based strategy for identification of infectious pathogens independent of either the sequence or the nature of the genomic nucleic acid. Total nucleic acid purified from simple clinical fluids (such as serum or cerebrospinal fluid) from a patient is randomly amplified and cloned and then probed with labeled nucleic acid similarly amplified from a second patient. Positive clones are then characterized by standard sequencing techniques. Such methodology is applicable to the investigation of diseases in which chronic infection may play an etiologic role.