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This book provides an introduction to the use of circulating nucleic acids in body fluids in clinical diagnosis. It details the latest developments in the isolation of the nucleic acid fragments and their analysis, and identifies new and more reliable markers.

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DNA and RNA fractions have been isolated from the whole blood, serum, plasma, the surface of blood cells, urine, saliva and spinal fluid from both healthy individuals and clinical patients. Recent developments are presented concerning the isolation, quantification and analysis of these molecules and their use in the identification of specific nucleic acid fragments related to a variety of clinical disorders thereby permitting their early diagnosis and prognosis.

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