Improved assay to detect Plasmodium falciparum using an uninterrupted, semi-nested PCR and quantitative lateral flow analysis

Serge Y. Ongagna-Yhombi, Paul Corstjens, Eran Geva, William R. Abrams, Cheryl A. Barber, Daniel Malamud, Sungano Mharakurwa

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Background: A rapid, non-invasive, and inexpensive point-of-care (POC) diagnostic for malaria followed by therapeutic intervention would improve the ability to control infection in endemic areas. Methods. A semi-nested PCR amplification protocol is described for quantitative detection of Plasmodium falciparum and is compared to a traditional nested PCR. The approach uses primers that target the P. falciparum dihydrofolate reductase gene. Results: This study demonstrates that it is possible to perform an uninterrupted, asymmetric, semi-nested PCR assay with reduced assay time to detect P. falciparum without compromising the sensitivity and specificity of the assay using saliva as a testing matrix. Conclusions: The development of this PCR allows nucleic acid amplification without the need to transfer amplicon from the first PCR step to a second reaction tube with nested primers, thus reducing both the chance of contamination and the time for analysis to < two hours. Analysis of the PCR amplicon yield was adapted to lateral flow detection using the quantitative up-converting phosphor (UCP) reporter technology. This approach provides a basis for migration of the assay to a POC microfluidic format. In addition the assay was successfully evaluated with oral samples. Oral fluid collection provides a simple non-invasive method to collect clinical samples.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Article number74
    JournalMalaria Journal
    Volume12
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 2013

    Keywords

    • Detection
    • Lateral flow
    • Malaria
    • PCR
    • Plasmodium falciparum
    • Semi-nested PCR

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Parasitology
    • Infectious Diseases

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