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Head-to-head comparison of two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) kits for diagnosis of malaria in a non-endemic setting

Ivarsson, Anna Clara LU ; Fransén, Elin ; Broumou, Ioanna ; Färnert, Anna ; Persson, Kristina E.M. LU and Söbirk, Sara Karlsson LU orcid (2023) In Malaria Journal 22(1).
Abstract

Background: Light microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) have long been the recommended diagnostic methods for malaria. However, in recent years, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) techniques have been shown to offer superior performance, in particular concerning low-grade parasitaemia, by delivering higher sensitivity and specificity with low laboratory capacity requirements in little more than an hour. In this study, the diagnostic performance of two LAMP kits were assessed head-to-head, compared to highly sensitive quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), in a non-endemic setting. Methods: In this retrospective validation study two LAMP kits; Alethia® Illumigene Malaria kit and HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria Pan... (More)

Background: Light microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) have long been the recommended diagnostic methods for malaria. However, in recent years, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) techniques have been shown to offer superior performance, in particular concerning low-grade parasitaemia, by delivering higher sensitivity and specificity with low laboratory capacity requirements in little more than an hour. In this study, the diagnostic performance of two LAMP kits were assessed head-to-head, compared to highly sensitive quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), in a non-endemic setting. Methods: In this retrospective validation study two LAMP kits; Alethia® Illumigene Malaria kit and HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria Pan Detection (PDT) kit, were evaluated head-to-head for detection of Plasmodium-DNA in 133 biobanked blood samples from suspected malaria cases at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of Region Skåne, Sweden to determine their diagnostic performance compared to qPCR. Results: Of the 133 samples tested, qPCR detected Plasmodium DNA in 41 samples (defined as true positives), and the two LAMP methods detected 41 and 37 of those, respectively. The results from the HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria PDT kit were in complete congruence with the qPCR, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 91.40–100%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI 96.07–100%). The Alethia® Illumigene Malaria kit had a sensitivity of 90.24% (95% CI 76.87–97.28) and a specificity of 95.65% (95% CI 89.24–98.80) as compared to qPCR. Conclusions: This head-to-head comparison showed higher performance indicators of the HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria PDT kit compared to the Alethia® illumigene Malaria kit for detection of malaria.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Diagnosis, LAMP, Loop-mediated isothermal amplification, Malaria
in
Malaria Journal
volume
22
issue
1
article number
377
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:38093251
  • scopus:85179730494
ISSN
1475-2875
DOI
10.1186/s12936-023-04809-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
166a0cd1-42d1-4bd3-822a-ca2b42ece177
date added to LUP
2024-01-09 11:40:19
date last changed
2024-04-24 07:36:13
@article{166a0cd1-42d1-4bd3-822a-ca2b42ece177,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Light microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) have long been the recommended diagnostic methods for malaria. However, in recent years, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) techniques have been shown to offer superior performance, in particular concerning low-grade parasitaemia, by delivering higher sensitivity and specificity with low laboratory capacity requirements in little more than an hour. In this study, the diagnostic performance of two LAMP kits were assessed head-to-head, compared to highly sensitive quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), in a non-endemic setting. Methods: In this retrospective validation study two LAMP kits; Alethia<sup>®</sup> Illumigene Malaria kit and HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria Pan Detection (PDT) kit, were evaluated head-to-head for detection of Plasmodium-DNA in 133 biobanked blood samples from suspected malaria cases at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of Region Skåne, Sweden to determine their diagnostic performance compared to qPCR. Results: Of the 133 samples tested, qPCR detected Plasmodium DNA in 41 samples (defined as true positives), and the two LAMP methods detected 41 and 37 of those, respectively. The results from the HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria PDT kit were in complete congruence with the qPCR, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 91.40–100%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI 96.07–100%). The Alethia<sup>®</sup> Illumigene Malaria kit had a sensitivity of 90.24% (95% CI 76.87–97.28) and a specificity of 95.65% (95% CI 89.24–98.80) as compared to qPCR. Conclusions: This head-to-head comparison showed higher performance indicators of the HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria PDT kit compared to the Alethia<sup>®</sup> illumigene Malaria kit for detection of malaria.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ivarsson, Anna Clara and Fransén, Elin and Broumou, Ioanna and Färnert, Anna and Persson, Kristina E.M. and Söbirk, Sara Karlsson}},
  issn         = {{1475-2875}},
  keywords     = {{Diagnosis; LAMP; Loop-mediated isothermal amplification; Malaria}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Malaria Journal}},
  title        = {{Head-to-head comparison of two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) kits for diagnosis of malaria in a non-endemic setting}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12936-023-04809-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12936-023-04809-7}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}