Glossary of molecular biology and clinical molecular biology. Part III: molecular diagnostics

This document is the third and last section of a glossary on molecular biology. In particular, the main categories of the currently available molecular diagnostic procedures, and the related terminology, will be described herein. Based on the availability of more and more sensitive and standardized technologies for the study of DNA/RNA alterations, molecular diagnostic tests are now widely diffused in clinical laboratories, and commonly offered to patients and their families. Aiming to support less experienced readers, the terms related to the main molecular diagnostic procedures and tests are included in this third part of the glossary. For each term the corresponding English version is reported (see also the complete list, both in Italian and in English alphabetical order, reported in the Appendix). In addition, for some of the terms, a link to articles already published in Biochimica Clinica, where they have been used, is reported.