RNA tests include HIV RNA tests, hepatitis C tests, and genetic tests. HIV RNA tests detect virus RNA using PCR, while hepatitis C RNA tests are qualitative or quantitative. Genetic testing examines RNA in genes to detect diseases. RNA types include mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA.
The different types of ribonucleic acid (RNA) tests are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA tests, hepatitis C tests, and genetic tests. Tests for HIV RNA are called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and they look for the RNA of the virus or the presence of HIV DNA in white blood cells. Hepatitis C RNA tests are qualitative RNA tests and quantitative RNA tests. Genetic testing examines the RNA in genes taken from a blood sample to detect the presence or possibility of a disease or disorder.
HIV RNA tests are often used on newborns to detect HIV infection in newborns whose mothers are HIV positive. Virus RNA is detected by PCR, which analyzes short sequences of RNA. It makes sections of cellular RNA in test tubes, with an enzyme called polymerase making a copy of the RNA segment. Once the polymerase has finished copying the RNA, it can be studied for the presence of HIV RNA. These tests are also called viral load tests and HIV nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs).
Qualitative hepatitis C RNA tests are used to determine if the virus is present in the body. Quantitative hepatitis C RNA tests, or viral load tests, are used to estimate the level of hepatitis C RNA in the blood. One test confirms whether a person has been infected with the hepatitis C virus and the other gives the doctor an idea of how much virus is in the body. Hepatitis C attacks the liver and can cause cirrhosis. Knowing if a person has been infected with the virus helps in starting treatment and taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.
Gene RNA tests are used to examine strands of RNA for changes in a cell’s genes or DNA strand. These changes include missing sections, extra sections or altered chemical bases or sub-units within a DNA strand. Tests are often used to determine whether a person carries a genetic disease that can be passed on to her or her children and whether an unborn child has a genetic disease. Diseases that can be diagnosed with a genetic RNA test include birth defects, chromosomal abnormalities, Tay-Sachs disease, Down syndrome, and spina bifida.
There are three types of RNA: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Messenger RNA takes information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or genetic information in a cell to the cell’s ribosome to make proteins. At this point, the tRNA carries the amino acids to the mRNA in the cell’s ribosome to put the protein together. The structural component of the cellular ribosome, rRNA, is where it synthesizes proteins.
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