LabMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News Expo Clinical Chem. Molecular Diagnostics Hematology Immunology Microbiology Pathology Technology Industry Focus

Improved LAMP Test Diagnoses Symptomatic Falciparum Malaria

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 09 Apr 2014
Print article
Image: Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) detection kit for malaria (Photo courtesy of Eiken Chemical Co. Ltd.).
Image: Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) detection kit for malaria (Photo courtesy of Eiken Chemical Co. Ltd.).
The molecular diagnosis of malaria by nucleotide amplification requires sophisticated and expensive instruments, typically found only in well-established laboratories.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has provided a new platform for an easily adaptable molecular technique for molecular diagnosis of malaria without the use of expensive instruments.

Scientists from the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research (Dhaka, Bangladesh) working with colleagues in North America collected blood samples included 106 microscopy-positive P. falciparum infections and 105 microscopically negative samples. All the subjects had febrile illness and were suspected of malaria. Routine microscopy was performed by experienced microscopists on thick and thin smear slides.

DNA was extracted and real-time polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were performed using Invitrogen SYBR Green I supermix UDG (Life Technologies Corporation; Grand Island, NY, USA). A new primer set was designed targeting the 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene for the detection of P. falciparum in whole blood samples. The efficacy of LAMP (Eiken Chemical Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan) using the new primer set was assessed in this study in comparison to that of a previously described set of LAMP primers. Microscopy and real-time PCR were used as reference methods for detecting P. falciparum. Pre-addition of hydroxy napthol blue (HNB) in the LAMP reaction caused a distinct color change, thereby improving the visual detection system.

The new LAMP assay was found to be 99.1% sensitive compared to microscopy and 98.1% when compared to real-time PCR and the specificity was 99% and 100% in contrast to microscopy and real-time PCR, respectively. The augmented LAMP method can detect at least 5 parasites/μL of infected blood within 35 minutes, while the other LAMP method tested in this study, could detect a minimum of 100 parasites/μL of human blood after 60 minutes of amplification.

The authors concluded that the new LAMP method is highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of symptomatic falciparum malaria. This method can be an alternative molecular diagnostic tool to PCR and might become a standard method for wider use. Furthermore, this method has immense potential to become a tangible tool for point-of-care diagnosis of malaria and treatment monitoring in healthcare and epidemiological studies. The study was published on March 5, 2014, in the journal Acta Tropica.

Related Links:

International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research
Life Technologies Corporation
Eiken Chemical Co. Ltd. 


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
Magnetic Bead Separation Modules
MAG and HEATMAG
Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Test
GPP-100 Anti-CCP Kit
New
Gold Member
Magnetic Bead Separation Modules
MAG and HEATMAG

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The 3D printed miniature ionizer is a key component of a mass spectrometer (Photo courtesy of MIT)

3D Printed Point-Of-Care Mass Spectrometer Outperforms State-Of-The-Art Models

Mass spectrometry is a precise technique for identifying the chemical components of a sample and has significant potential for monitoring chronic illness health states, such as measuring hormone levels... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The CAPILLARYS 3 DBS devices have received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance (Photo courtesy of Sebia)

Next Generation Instrument Screens for Hemoglobin Disorders in Newborns

Hemoglobinopathies, the most widespread inherited conditions globally, affect about 7% of the population as carriers, with 2.7% of newborns being born with these conditions. The spectrum of clinical manifestations... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The AI predictive model identifies the most potent cancer killing immune cells for use in immunotherapies (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

AI Predicts Tumor-Killing Cells with High Accuracy

Cellular immunotherapy involves extracting immune cells from a patient's tumor, potentially enhancing their cancer-fighting capabilities through engineering, and then expanding and reintroducing them into the body.... Read more