In-house screening technique for T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) and kappa-deleting recombination excision circles (KREC) quantification using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

The present study aimed to develop an in-house screening technique for T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) and kappa-deleting recombination excision circles (KREC) quantification using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to screen for IEI in newborn babies. Early detection is crucial for preventing health complications. The need for early detection of IEI has led to the development of newborn screening (NBS) programmes; however, many countries lack routine NBS due to financial and technological challenges. Results show that HUU infants had statistically significant higher TREC concentrations (P-value = 0.006) than HEU infants; however, no significant difference in KREC concentrations was noted between the two cohorts. Statistical significance was determined by a P-value &lt;0.05. These results indicate reduced TREC levels in immunologically vulnerable babies (HEU).<br>