Dataset Information

Dried Plasmodium falciparum-infected samples as positive controls for malaria rapid diagnostic tests.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are central to fulfilling the WHO's recommendation for parasitologic confirmation of all suspected cases of malaria. RDT performance may be compromised when exposed to the high temperature conditions typical of most malaria endemic regions. However, a systematic method to monitor RDT quality and performance in endemic countries is lacking at the present time. Current methods to monitor RDT performance in the field include comparing results from RDTs to diagnoses made by light microscopy and observing health workers perform tests. These methods are not substitutes for direct quality control. In this study, the suitability of dried Plasmodium falciparum-infected blood as quality control samples for malaria RDTs was evaluated.

Methods

Three cultured strains of P. falciparum at 200 and 2,000 parasites/?l were tested on 10 brands of RDT. After baseline testing to determine initial reactivity, aliquots of parasite-infected blood were air dried, stored at 35°C, room temperature (~25°C) or 4°C for one, four and 12 weeks and were then tested on the 10 RDTs after rehydration. Extended stability testing of dried blood stored at 4°C was done using P. falciparum strain 3D7 at 1,000 and 2,000 parasites/?l.

Results

All dried blood samples at 2,000 parasites/?l retained reactivity (100% sensitivity) at all three temperatures and time points for all nine RDT brands that detect histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP2). The dried blood samples with 200 parasites/?l were detected by six of the nine HRP2-based RDTs at all storage temperatures and time points. The sensitivity for two of the three remaining HRP2-based RDTs was 100% up to four weeks of storage at all temperatures but dropped to 87.5% at week 12. Of the four RDTs that detect plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) in a pan-specific manner, alone or in combination with HRP2, the detection of pLDH in samples with 2,000 parasites/?L was 100% for two RDTs and 80% for the other two RDTs. The mean level for detection of pLDH at 200 parasites/?l was low (29%), with a range of 0% to100%, which was partly attributable to weak initial baseline reactivity. Reactivity of dried 3D7 at 1,000 and 2,000 parasites/?l stored at 4°C was retained at 100% for up to 52 weeks for both HRP2 and pLDH.

Conclusions

In the absence of native or recombinant positive control antigens, well-standardized P. falciparum-infected dried blood samples can be used as positive control samples for monitoring RDT performance, particularly with HRP2-detecting tests.

SUBMITTER: Aidoo M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3483274 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Dried Plasmodium falciparum-infected samples as positive controls for malaria rapid diagnostic tests.

Aidoo Michael M Patel Jaymin C JC Barnwell John W JW

Malaria journal 20120723

<h4>Background</h4>Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are central to fulfilling the WHO's recommendation for parasitologic confirmation of all suspected cases of malaria. RDT performance may be compromised when exposed to the high temperature conditions typical of most malaria endemic regions. However, a systematic method to monitor RDT quality and performance in endemic countries is lacking at the present time. Current methods to monitor RDT performance in the field include comparing results from RD ...[more]

PMID: 22823999

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Project description:BackgroundMalaria has a negative effect on the outcome of pregnancy. Pregnant women are at high risk of severe malaria and severe haemolytic anaemia, which contribute 60-70% of foetal and perinatal losses. Peripheral blood smear microscopy under-estimates sequestered placental infections, therefore malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) detecting histidine rich protein-2 antigen (HRP-2) in peripheral blood are a potential alternative.MethodsHRP-2 RDTs accuracy in detecting malaria in pregnancy (MIP >28 weeks gestation) and placental Plasmodium falciparum malaria (after childbirth) were conducted using Giemsa microscopy and placental histopathology respectively as the reference standard. The study was conducted in Mbale Hospital, using the midwives to perform and interpret the RDT results. Discordant results samples were spot checked using PCR techniques.ResultsAmong 433 febrile women tested, RDTs had a sensitivity of 96.8% (95% CI 92-98.8), specificity of 73.5% (95% CI 67.8-78.6), a positive predictive value (PPV) of 68.0% (95% CI 61.4-73.9), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 97.5% (95% CI 94.0-99.0) in detecting peripheral P. falciparum malaria during pregnancy. At delivery, in non-symptomatic women, RDTs had a 80.9% sensitivity (95% CI 57.4-93.7) and a 87.5% specificity (95%CI 80.9-92.1), PPV of 47.2% (95% CI 30.7-64.2) and NPV of 97.1% (95% CI 92.2-99.1) in detecting placental P. falciparum infections among 173 samples. At delivery, 41% of peripheral infections were detected by microscopy without concurrent placental infection. The combination of RDTs and microscopy improved the sensitivity to 90.5% and the specificity to 98.4% for detecting placental malaria infection (McNemar's X(2)> 3.84). RDTs were not superior to microscopy in detecting placental infection (McNemar's X(2)< 3.84). Presence of malaria in pregnancy and active placental malaria infection were 38% and 12% respectively. Placental infections were associated with poor pregnancy outcome [pre-term, still birth and low birth weight] (aOR = 37.9) and late pregnancy malaria infection (aOR = 20.9). Mosquito net use (aOR 2.1) and increasing parity (aOR 2.7) were associated with lower risk for malaria in pregnancy.ConclusionUse of HRP-2 RDTs to detect malaria in pregnancy in symptomatic women was accurate when performed by midwives. A combination of RDTs and microscopy provided the best means of detecting placental malaria. RDTs were not superior to microscopy in detecting placental infection. With a high sensitivity and specificity, RDTs could be a useful tool for assessing malaria in pregnancy, with further (cost-) effectiveness studies.

Project description:BACKGROUND: An accurate diagnosis is essential for the rapid and appropriate treatment of malaria. The accuracy of the histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2)-based rapid diagnostic test (RDT) Palutop+4® was assessed here. One possible factor contributing to the failure to detect malaria by this test is the diversity of the parasite PfHRP2 antigens. METHODS: PfHRP2 detection with the Palutop+4® RDT was carried out. The pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes were amplified and sequenced from 136 isolates of Plasmodium falciparum that were collected in Dakar, Senegal from 2009 to 2011. The DNA sequences were determined and statistical analyses of the variation observed between these two genes were conducted. The potential impact of PfHRP2 and PfHRP3 sequence variation on malaria diagnosis was examined. RESULTS: Seven P. falciparum isolates (5.9% of the total isolates, regardless of the parasitaemia; 10.7% of the isolates with parasitaemia ?0.005% or ?250 parasites/?l) were undetected by the PfHRP2 Palutop+4® RDT. Low parasite density is not sufficient to explain the PfHRP2 detection failure. Three of these seven samples showed pfhrp2 deletion (2.4%). The pfhrp3 gene was deleted in 12.8%. Of the 122 PfHRP2 sequences, 120 unique sequences were identified. Of the 109 PfHRP3 sequences, 64 unique sequences were identified. Using the Baker's regression model, at least 7.4% of the P. falciparum isolates in Dakar were likely to be undetected by PfHRP2 at a parasite density of ?250 parasites/?l (slightly lower than the evaluated prevalence of 10.7%). This predictive prevalence increased significantly between 2009 and 2011 (P = 0.0046). CONCLUSION: In the present work, 10.7% of the isolates with a parasitaemia ?0.005% (?250 parasites/?l) were undetected by the PfHRP2 Palutop+4® RDT (7.4% by the predictive Baker'model). In addition, all of the parasites with pfhrp2 deletion (2.4% of the total samples) and 2.1% of the parasites with parasitaemia >0.005% and presence of pfhrp2 were not detected by PfHRP2 RDT. PfHRP2 is highly polymorphic in Senegal. Efforts should be made to more accurately determine the prevalence of non-sensitive parasites to pfHRP2.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Malaria transmission in Ethiopia is unstable and variable, caused by both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) is scaling up parasitological diagnosis of malaria at all levels of the health system; at peripheral health facilities this will be through use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). The present study compared three RDT products to provide the FMoH with evidence to guide appropriate product selection. METHODS: Performance of three multi-species (pf-HRP2/pan-pLDH and pf-HRP2/aldolase) RDTs (CareStart, ParaScreen and ICT Combo) was compared with 'gold standard' microscopy at three health centres in Jimma zone, Oromia Regional State. Ease of RDT use by health extension workers was assessed at community health posts. RDT heat stability was tested in a controlled laboratory setting according to WHO procedures. RESULTS: A total of 2,383 patients with suspected malaria were enrolled between May and July 2009, 23.2% of whom were found to be infected with Plasmodium parasites by microscopy. All three RDTs were equally sensitive in detecting P. falciparum or mixed infection: 85.6% (95% confidence interval 81.2-89.4). RDT specificity was similar for detection of P. falciparum or mixed infection at around 92%. For detecting P. vivax infection, all three RDTs had similar sensitivity in the range of 82.5 to 85.0%. CareStart had higher specificity in detecting P. vivax (97.2%) than both ParaScreen and ICT Combo (p < 0.001 and p = 0.05, respectively). Health extension workers preferred CareStart and ParaScreen to ICT Combo due to the clear labelling of bands on the cassette, while the 'lab in a pack' style of CareStart was the preferred design. ParaScreen and CareStart passed all heat stability testing, while ICT Combo did not perform as well. CONCLUSIONS: CareStart appeared to be the most appropriate option for use at health posts in Ethiopia, considering the combination of quantitative performance, ease of use and heat stability. When new products become available, the choice of multi-species RDT for Ethiopia should be regularly re-evaluated, as it would be desirable to identify a test with higher sensitivity than the ones evaluated here.

Project description:BackgroundThe need for new malaria surveillance tools and strategies is critical, given improved global malaria control and regional elimination efforts. High quality Plasmodium falciparum DNA can reliably be extracted from malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Together with highly sensitive molecular assays, wide scale collection of used RDTs may serve as a modern tool for improved malaria case detection and drug resistance surveillance. However, comparative studies of DNA extraction efficiency from RDTs and the field applicability are lacking. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate different methods of DNA extraction from RDTs and to test the field applicability for the purpose of molecular epidemiological investigations.MethodsDNA was extracted from two RDT devices (Paracheck-Pf® and SD Bioline Malaria Pf/Pan®), seeded in vitro with 10-fold dilutions of cultured 3D7 P. falciparum parasites diluted in malaria negative whole blood. The level of P. falciparum detection was determined for each extraction method and RDT device with multiple nested-PCR and real-time PCR assays. The field applicability was tested on 855 paired RDT (Paracheck-Pf) and filter paper (Whatman® 3MM) blood samples (734 RDT negative and 121 RDT positive samples) collected from febrile patients in Zanzibar 2010. RDT positive samples were genotyped at four key single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in pfmdr1 and pfcrt as well as for pfmdr1 copy number, all associated with anti-malarial drug resistance.ResultsThe P. falciparum DNA detection limit varied with RDT device and extraction method. Chelex-100 extraction performed best for all extraction matrixes. There was no statistically significant difference in PCR detection rates in DNA extracted from RDTs and filter paper field samples. Similarly there were no significant differences in the PCR success rates and genotyping outcomes for the respective SNPs in the 121 RDT positive samples.ConclusionsThe results support RDTs as a valuable source of parasite DNA and provide evidence for RDT-DNA extraction for improved malaria case detection, molecular drug resistance surveillance, and RDT quality control.

Project description:BackgroundScreening malaria-specific antibody responses on protein microarrays can help identify immune factors that mediate protection against malaria infection, disease, and transmission, as well as markers of past exposure to both malaria parasites and mosquito vectors. Most malaria protein microarray work has used serum as the sample matrix, requiring prompt laboratory processing and a continuous cold chain, thus limiting applications in remote locations. Dried blood spots (DBS) pose minimal biohazard, do not require immediate laboratory processing, and are stable at room temperature for transport, making them potentially superior alternatives to serum. The goals of this study were to assess the viability of DBS as a source for antibody profiling and to use DBS to identify serological signatures of low-density Plasmodium falciparum infections in malaria-endemic regions of Myanmar.MethodsMatched DBS and serum samples from a cross-sectional study in Ingapu Township, Myanmar were probed on protein microarrays populated with P. falciparum antigen fragments. Signal and trends in both sample matrices were compared. A case-control study was then performed using banked DBS samples from malaria-endemic regions of Myanmar, and a regularized logistic regression model was used to identify antibody signatures of ultrasensitive PCR-positive P. falciparum infections.ResultsApproximately 30% of serum IgG activity was recovered from DBS. Despite this loss of antibody activity, antigen and population trends were well-matched between the two sample matrices. Responses to 18 protein fragments were associated with the odds of asymptomatic P. falciparum infection, albeit with modest diagnostic characteristics (sensitivity 58%, specificity 85%, negative predictive value 88%, and positive predictive value 52%).ConclusionsMalaria-specific antibody responses can be reliably detected, quantified, and analysed from DBS, opening the door to serological studies in populations where serum collection, transport, and storage would otherwise be impossible. While test characteristics of antibody signatures were insufficient for individual diagnosis, serological testing may be useful for identifying exposure to asymptomatic, low-density malaria infections, particularly if sero-surveillance strategies target individuals with low previous exposure as sentinels for population exposure.

Dataset Information

Dried Plasmodium falciparum-infected samples as positive controls for malaria rapid diagnostic tests.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Dried Plasmodium falciparum-infected samples as positive controls for malaria rapid diagnostic tests.

Similar Datasets

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