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Ogunmolasuyi AM, Adewoyin MA. Microfluidic device: A versatile biosensor platform to multiplex aptamer-based detection of malaria biomarkers. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e4104. [PMID: 39118353 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.4104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a dominant infectious disease that affects Africa than the rest of the world, considering its associated cases and death rates. It's a febrile illness that produces several reliable biomarkers, for example, P. falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH), P. falciparum Plasmodium glutamate dehydrogenase (PfGDH), and P. falciparum histidine-rich proteins (HRP-II) in blood circulatory system that can easily be employed as targets in rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). In recent times, several DNA aptamers have been developed via SELEX technology to detect some specific malaria biomarkers (PfLDH, PvLDH, HRP-II, PfGDH) in a biosensor mode with good binding affinity properties to overcome the trend of cross-reactivity, limited sensitivity and stability problems that have been observed with immunodiagnostics. In this review, we summarized existing diagnostic methods and relevant biomarkers to suggest promising approaches to develop sensitive and species-specific multiplexed diagnostic devices enabling effective detection of malaria in complex biological matrices and surveillance in the endemic region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mary A Adewoyin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Anchor University, Lagos, Nigeria
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2
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Schreidah C, Giesbrecht D, Gashema P, Young NW, Munyaneza T, Muvunyi CM, Thwai K, Mazarati JB, Bailey JA, Juliano JJ, Karema C. Expansion of artemisinin partial resistance mutations and lack of histidine rich protein-2 and -3 deletions in Plasmodium falciparum infections from Rukara, Rwanda. Malar J 2024; 23:150. [PMID: 38755607 PMCID: PMC11100144 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04981-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging artemisinin partial resistance and diagnostic resistance are a threat to malaria control in Africa. Plasmodium falciparum kelch13 (k13) propeller-domain mutations that confer artemisinin partial resistance have emerged in Africa. k13-561H was initially described at a frequency of 7.4% from Masaka in 2014-2015, but not present in nearby Rukara. By 2018, 19.6% of isolates in Masaka and 22% of isolates in Rukara contained the mutation. Longitudinal monitoring is essential to inform control efforts. In Rukara, an assessment was conducted to evaluate recent k13-561H prevalence changes, as well as other key mutations. Prevalence of hrp2/3 deletions was also assessed. METHODS Samples collected in Rukara in 2021 were genotyped for key artemisinin and partner drug resistance mutations using molecular inversion probe assays and for hrp2/3 deletions using qPCR. RESULTS Clinically validated k13 artemisinin partial resistance mutations continue to increase in prevalence with the overall level of mutant infections reaching 32% in Rwanda. The increase appears to be due to the rapid emergence of k13-675V (6.4%, 6/94 infections), previously not observed, rather than continued expansion of 561H (23.5% 20/85). Mutations to partner drugs and other anti-malarials were variable, with high levels of multidrug resistance 1 (mdr1) N86 (95.5%) associated with lumefantrine decreased susceptibility and dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) 164L (24.7%) associated with a high level of antifolate resistance, but low levels of amodiaquine resistance polymorphisms with chloroquine resistance transporter (crt) 76T: at 6.1% prevalence. No hrp2 or hrp3 gene deletions associated with diagnostic resistance were found. CONCLUSIONS Increasing prevalence of artemisinin partial resistance due to k13-561H and the rapid expansion of k13-675V is concerning for the longevity of artemisinin effectiveness in the region. False negative RDT results do not appear to be an issue with no hrp2 or hpr3 deletions detected. Continued molecular surveillance in this region and surrounding areas is needed to follow artemisinin partial resistance and provide early detection of partner drug resistance, which would likely compromise control and increase malaria morbidity and mortality in East Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kyaw Thwai
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | | | | | - Jonathan J Juliano
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Corine Karema
- Quality Equity Health Care, Kigali, Rwanda
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Tilahun A, Yimer M, Gelaye W, Tegegne B, Endalamaw D, Estifanos F, Abebaw A, Abere A. Comparison of malaria diagnostic methods for detection of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections among pregnant women in northwest Ethiopia. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:492. [PMID: 38745114 PMCID: PMC11092159 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09369-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria in pregnancy remains a major public health problem in the globe, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In malaria endemic areas, most pregnant women remain asymptomatic, but malaria could still cause complications on the mother and her offspring; as well as serve as reservoirs to transmit infection. Despite these effects, no attention is given to the diagnosis of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections (APIs) using highly sensitive and specific laboratory diagnostic tools in Ethiopia. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compare the performance of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT), microscopy and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect APIs among pregnant women. METHODS A health facility based cross -sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Fendeka town health facilities Jawi district, northwest Ethiopia from February to March, 2019. A total of 166 participants were enrolled by using convenient sampling technique. Socio-demographic features were collected using a semi structured questionnaire. Dried blood spot (DBS) samples were collected for molecular analysis. Asymptomatic Plasmodium infection on pregnant women was diagnosed using RDT, microscopy and RT-PCR. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of APIs. Method comparison was performed, and Cohen's kappa coefficient (k) was used to determine the degree of agreement among the diagnostic methods. Parasite densities were also calculated. RESULTS The prevalence of API was 9.6%, 11.4% and 18.7% using RDT, microscopy and RT-PCR, respectively. The overall proportion of API was 19.3%. Sensitivity of the RDT was 83.3% as compared with microscopy. Rapid Diagnostic Test and microscopy also showed sensitivity of 50% and 60%, respectively, as compared with RT-PCR. The mean parasite density was 3213 parasites/µl for P falciparum and 1140 parasites/µl of blood for P. vivax. CONCLUSION Prevalence of API in the study area was high. Both RDT and microscopy had lower sensitivity when compared with RT-PCR. Therefore, routine laboratory diagnosis of API among pregnant women should be given attention and done with better sensitive and specific laboratory diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adane Tilahun
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
| | - Mulat Yimer
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Woynshet Gelaye
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | | | | | | | - Abtie Abebaw
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia
| | - Aberham Abere
- School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Ngasala B, Chacky F, Mohamed A, Molteni F, Nyinondi S, Kabula B, Mkali H, Thwai K, Popkin-Hall ZR, Mitchell C, Parr JB, Juliano JJ, Lin JT. Evaluation of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test Performance and pfhrp2 Deletion in Tanzania School Surveys, 2017. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 110:887-891. [PMID: 38507797 PMCID: PMC11066367 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
As part of malaria nationwide monitoring and evaluation initiatives, there is an increasing trend of incorporating malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) in surveys conducted within primary schools to detect malaria parasites. However, mRDTs based on the detection of histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) are known to yield false-positive results due to persistent antigenemia, and false-negative results may result from low parasitemia or Plasmodium falciparum hrp2/3 gene deletion. We evaluated diagnostic performance of an HRP2 and pan-parasite lactate dehydrogenase (HRP2/pLDH) mRDT against polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of P. falciparum among 17,051 primary school-age children from eight regions of Tanzania in 2017. According to PCR, the prevalence of P. falciparum was 19.2% (95% CI: 18.6-19.8). Using PCR as reference, the sensitivity and specificity of mRDT was 76.2% (95% CI: 74.7-77.7) and 93.9% (95% CI: 93.5-94.3), respectively. Test agreement was lowest in low transmission areas, where true-positive mRDTs were outnumbered by false-negatives due to low parasitemia. Discordant samples (mRDT-negative but PCR-positive) were screened for pfhrp2/3 deletion by real-time PCR. Among those with a parasite density sufficient for analysis, pfhrp2 deletion was confirmed in 60 samples, whereas pfhrp3 deletion was confirmed in two samples; one sample had both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions. The majority of samples with gene deletions were detected in the high-transmission Kagera region. Compared with mRDTs, PCR and other molecular methods offer increased sensitivity and are not affected by pfhrp2/3 deletions, making them a useful supplement to mRDTs in schools and other epidemiological surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Billy Ngasala
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Frank Chacky
- National Malaria Control Programme, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Ally Mohamed
- National Malaria Control Programme, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | | | | | | | | | - Kyaw Thwai
- Institute for Global health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Zachary R. Popkin-Hall
- Institute for Global health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Cedar Mitchell
- Institute for Global health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jonathan B. Parr
- Institute for Global health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jonathan J. Juliano
- Institute for Global health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jessica T. Lin
- Institute for Global health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Mekonen B, Dugassa S, Feleke SM, Dufera B, Gidisa B, Adamu A, Mandefro A, Tasew G, Golassa L. Widespread pfhrp2/3 deletions and HRP2-based false-negative results in southern Ethiopia. Malar J 2024; 23:108. [PMID: 38632640 PMCID: PMC11025231 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04904-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) play a significant role in expanding case management in peripheral healthcare systems. Histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP2) antigen detection RDTs are predominantly used to diagnose Plasmodium falciparum infection. However, the evolution and spread of P. falciparum parasite strains with deleted hrp2/3 genes, causing false-negative results, have been reported. This study assessed the diagnostic performance of HRP2-detecting RDTs for P. falciparum cases and the prevalence of pfhrp2/3 deletions among symptomatic patients seeking malaria diagnosis at selected health facilities in southern Ethiopia. METHODS A multi-health facilities-based cross-sectional study was conducted on self-presenting febrile patients seeking treatment in southern Ethiopia from July to September 2022. A purposive sampling strategy was used to enroll patients with microscopically confirmed P. falciparum infections. A capillary blood sample was obtained to prepare a blood film for microscopy and a RDT using the SD Bioline™ Malaria Pf/Pv Test. Dried blood spot samples were collected for further molecular analysis. DNA was extracted using gene aid kits and amplification was performed using nested PCR assay. Exon 2 of hrp2 and hrp3, which are the main protein-coding regions, was used to confirm its deletion. The diagnostic performance of RDT was evaluated using PCR as the gold standard test for P. falciparum infections. RESULTS Of 279 P. falciparum PCR-confirmed samples, 249 (89.2%) had successful msp-2 amplification, which was then genotyped for hrp2/3 gene deletions. The study revealed that pfhrp2/3 deletions were common in all health centres, and it was estimated that 144 patients (57.8%) across all health facilities had pfhrp2/3 deletions, leading to false-negative PfHRP2 RDT results. Deletions spanning exon 2 of hrp2, exon 2 of hrp3, and double deletions (hrp2/3) accounted for 68 (27.3%), 76 (30.5%), and 33 (13.2%) of cases, respectively. The study findings revealed the prevalence of P. falciparum parasites lacking a single pfhrp2-/3-gene and that both genes varied across the study sites. This study also showed that the sensitivity of the SD Bioline PfHRP2-RDT test was 76.5% when PCR was used as the reference test. CONCLUSION This study confirmed the existence of widespread pfhrp2/3- gene deletions, and their magnitude exceeded the WHO-recommended threshold (> 5%). False-negative RDT results resulting from deletions in Pfhrp2/3- affect a country's attempts at malaria control and elimination. Therefore, the adoption of non-HRP2-based RDTs as an alternative measure is required to avoid the consequences associated with the continued use of HRP-2-based RDTs, in the study area in particular and in Ethiopia in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bacha Mekonen
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Malaria and NTDs Research Team, Bacterial, Parasitic, and Zoonotic Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Sisay Dugassa
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sindew Mekasha Feleke
- Malaria and NTDs Research Team, Bacterial, Parasitic, and Zoonotic Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Boja Dufera
- Malaria and NTDs Research Team, Bacterial, Parasitic, and Zoonotic Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Bedasa Gidisa
- Malaria and NTDs Research Team, Armeur Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Aderaw Adamu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Aynalem Mandefro
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Geremew Tasew
- Malaria and NTDs Research Team, Bacterial, Parasitic, and Zoonotic Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Lemu Golassa
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Rogier E, Battle N, Bakari C, Seth MD, Nace D, Herman C, Barakoti A, Madebe RA, Mandara CI, Lyimo BM, Giesbrecht DJ, Popkin-Hall ZR, Francis F, Mbwambo D, Garimo I, Aaron S, Lusasi A, Molteni F, Njau R, Cunningham JA, Lazaro S, Mohamed A, Juliano JJ, Bailey JA, Udhayakumar V, Ishengoma DS. Plasmodium falciparum pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions among patients enrolled at 100 health facilities throughout Tanzania: February to July 2021. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8158. [PMID: 38589477 PMCID: PMC11001933 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58455-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum with the histidine rich protein 2 gene (pfhrp2) deleted from its genome can escape diagnosis by HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests (HRP2-RDTs). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends switching to a non-HRP2 RDT for P. falciparum clinical case diagnosis when pfhrp2 deletion prevalence causes ≥ 5% of RDTs to return false negative results. Tanzania is a country of heterogenous P. falciparum transmission, with some regions approaching elimination and others at varying levels of control. In concordance with the current recommended WHO pfhrp2 deletion surveillance strategy, 100 health facilities encompassing 10 regions of Tanzania enrolled malaria-suspected patients between February and July 2021. Of 7863 persons of all ages enrolled and providing RDT result and blood sample, 3777 (48.0%) were positive by the national RDT testing for Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) and/or HRP2. A second RDT testing specifically for the P. falciparum LDH (Pf-pLDH) antigen found 95 persons (2.5% of all RDT positives) were positive, though negative by the national RDT for HRP2, and were selected for pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 (pfhrp2/3) genotyping. Multiplex antigen detection by laboratory bead assay found 135/7847 (1.7%) of all blood samples positive for Plasmodium antigens but very low or no HRP2, and these were selected for genotyping as well. Of the samples selected for genotyping based on RDT or laboratory multiplex result, 158 were P. falciparum DNA positive, and 140 had sufficient DNA to be genotyped for pfhrp2/3. Most of these (125/140) were found to be pfhrp2+/pfhrp3+, with smaller numbers deleted for only pfhrp2 (n = 9) or only pfhrp3 (n = 6). No dual pfhrp2/3 deleted parasites were observed. This survey found that parasites with these gene deletions are rare in Tanzania, and estimated that 0.24% (95% confidence interval: 0.08% to 0.39%) of false-negative HRP2-RDTs for symptomatic persons were due to pfhrp2 deletions in this 2021 Tanzania survey. These data provide evidence for HRP2-based diagnostics as currently accurate for P. falciparum diagnosis in Tanzania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Rogier
- Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Catherine Bakari
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Misago D Seth
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Douglas Nace
- Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Camelia Herman
- Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Achut Barakoti
- Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- CDC Foundation, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rashid A Madebe
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Celine I Mandara
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Beatus M Lyimo
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | | | | | | | | | - Issa Garimo
- National Malaria Control Programme, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | | | | | | | - Ritha Njau
- World Health Organization, Country Office, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Samwel Lazaro
- National Malaria Control Programme, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Ally Mohamed
- National Malaria Control Programme, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | | | | | | | - Deus S Ishengoma
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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Dembélé P, Cissoko M, Diarra AZ, Doumbia L, Koné A, Magassa MH, Mehadji M, Thera MA, Ranque S. Evaluation of the Performance of Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Malaria Diagnosis and Mapping of Different Plasmodium Species in Mali. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:228. [PMID: 38397717 PMCID: PMC10888130 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21020228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The first-line diagnosis of malaria in Mali is based on the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) that detect the Histidin Rich Protein 2 (HRP2) antigen specific to Plasmodium falciparum. Our study, based on a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) gold standard, aimed to describe the distribution of the Plasmodium species in each administrative region of Mali and to assess the performance of RDTs. METHODS We randomly selected 150 malaria-negative and up to 30 malaria-positive RDTs in 41 sites distributed in 9 regions of Mali. DNA extracted from the RDT nitrocellulose strip was assayed with a pan-Plasmodium qPCR. Positive samples were then analyzed with P. falciparum-, P. malariae-, P. vivax-, or P. ovale-specific qPCRs. RESULTS Of the 1496 RDTs, 258 (18.6%) were positive for Plasmodium spp., of which 96.9% were P. falciparum. The P. vivax prevalence reached 21.1% in the north. RDT displayed acceptable diagnostic indices; the lower CI95% bounds of Youden indices were all ≥0.50, except in the north (Youden index 0.66 (95% CI [0.44-0.82]) and 0.63 (95% CI [0.33-0.83]. CONCLUSIONS Overall, RDT diagnostic indices are adequate for the biological diagnosis of malaria in Mali. We recommend the use of RDTs detecting P. vivax-specific antigens in the north.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Dembélé
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme (PNLP), Bamako BP 233, Mali; (M.C.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Mady Cissoko
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme (PNLP), Bamako BP 233, Mali; (M.C.); (M.H.M.)
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), FMOS-FAPH, Mali-NIAID-ICER, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Bamako BP 1805, Mali;
| | - Adama Zan Diarra
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Lassana Doumbia
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Appliquée (LBMA), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Badalabougou, Bamako BP 423, Mali;
| | - Aïssata Koné
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Appliquée (LBMA), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Badalabougou, Bamako BP 423, Mali;
| | - Mahamadou H. Magassa
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme (PNLP), Bamako BP 233, Mali; (M.C.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Maissane Mehadji
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Mahamadou A. Thera
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), FMOS-FAPH, Mali-NIAID-ICER, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Bamako BP 1805, Mali;
| | - Stéphane Ranque
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
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Martín Ramírez A, Barón Argos L, Lanza Suárez M, Carmona Rubio C, Pérez-Ayala A, Hisam SR, Rubio JM. Malaria diagnosis using a combined system of a simple and fast extraction method with a lyophilised Dual-LAMP assay in a non-endemic setting. Pathog Glob Health 2024; 118:80-90. [PMID: 37415348 PMCID: PMC10769111 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2023.2232595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic disease distributed in tropical areas but with a high number of imported cases in non-endemic countries. The most specific and sensitive malaria diagnostic methods are PCR and LAMP. However, both require specific equipment, extraction procedures and a cold chain. This study aims to solve some limitations of LAMP method with the optimization and validation of six LAMP assays, genus and species-specific, using an easy and fast extraction method, the incorporation of a reaction control assay, two ways (Dual) of result reading and reagent lyophilization. The Dual-LAMP assays were validated against the Nested-Multiplex Malaria PCR. A conventional column and saline extraction methods, and the use of lyophilized reaction tubes were also assessed. A new reaction control Dual-LAMP-RC assay was designed. Dual-LAMP-Pspp assay showed no cross-reactivity with other parasites, repeatability and reproducibility of 100%, a significant correlation between parasite concentration and time to amplification and a LoD of 1.22 parasites/µl and 5.82 parasites/µl using column and saline extraction methods, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of the six Dual-LAMP assays reach values of 100% or close to this, being lower for the Dual-LAMP-Pm. The Dual-LAMP-RC assay worked as expected. Lyophilized Dual-LAMP results were concordant with the reference method. Dual-LAMP malaria assays with the addition of a new reaction control LAMP assay and the use of a fast and easy saline extraction method, provided low limit of detection, no cross-reactivity, and good sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, the reagent lyophilization and the dual result reading allow their use in most settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Martín Ramírez
- Malaria & Parasitic Emerging Diseases Laboratory. National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lourdes Barón Argos
- Malaria & Parasitic Emerging Diseases Laboratory. National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Lanza Suárez
- Malaria & Parasitic Emerging Diseases Laboratory. National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudia Carmona Rubio
- Malaria & Parasitic Emerging Diseases Laboratory. National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pérez-Ayala
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Shamilah R. Hisam
- Parasitology Unit, Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Health, Setia Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - José M. Rubio
- Malaria & Parasitic Emerging Diseases Laboratory. National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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9
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Nana RRD, Ngum NL, Makoge V, Amvongo-Adja N, Hawadak J, Singh V. Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria diagnosis in Cameroon: impact of histidine rich protein 2/3 deletions and lactate dehydrogenase gene polymorphism. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 108:116103. [PMID: 37944271 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2023.116103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDT) play a vital role in malaria control in endemic areas. In this study, histidine-rich protein (hrp) and lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) genes were genotyped in Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and Plasmodium ovale (Po) spp. isolates. Deletions in P. falciparum hrp2/3 (pfhrp2/3) proteins and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed. Twenty-four samples were analyzed for pfhrp2/3 gene deletions and 25 for SNPs in ldh gene (18 Pf and 7 Po spp.). Deletions in pfhrp2/3 genes were observed in 1.9% malaria positive isolates. The pfldh gene sequences showed one SNP at codon 272 (D272N) in 22.2% of samples while in Po spp., sequences were 100% similar to P. ovale curtisi but when compared to P. ovale wallikeri reference sequence, SNPs at positions 143 (P143S), 168 (K168N), 204 (V204I) were found. Findings suggest low prevalence in pfhrp2/3 genes and highlight the circulation of P. ovale curtisi in the studies areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigue Roman Dongang Nana
- Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants studies (IMPM), P.O Box 13033 Yaoundé, Cameroon; Parasite and Host Biology Group, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi 110077, India..
| | - Ngum Lesly Ngum
- Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants studies (IMPM), P.O Box 13033 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Valerie Makoge
- Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants studies (IMPM), P.O Box 13033 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Nathalie Amvongo-Adja
- Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants studies (IMPM), P.O Box 13033 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Joseph Hawadak
- Parasite and Host Biology Group, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi 110077, India
| | - Vineeta Singh
- Parasite and Host Biology Group, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi 110077, India..
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10
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Teou DC, Dorkenoo AM, Ataba E, Alidou S, Yakpa K, Abdou-Kerim A, Maman I, Agbonon A. Evaluation of the performance of advantage P.f. malaria Card ® and advantage malaria Pan + Pf Card ®, two rapid diagnostic tests for parasitological confirmation of malaria cases in field situation in Togo. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:444. [PMID: 38037186 PMCID: PMC10691072 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06062-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Togo, malaria remains a major public health problem, and the management of suspected cases requires confirmation with appropriate biological methods. Malaria diagnosis has been improved by the introduction of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for areas where microscopy is not available. To be used, these RDTs must meet performance criteria defined by the WHO. This study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of two RDTs: Advantage P.f. Malaria Card® detecting HRP2 antigen and Advantage Malaria Pan + Pf Card® detecting both HRP2 and pLDH antigens. METHODS This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted from December 2019 to February 2020 on malaria-suspected cases received in three sentinel sites in Togo and from whom capillary blood was collected to perform the two RDTs according to the manufacturer's instructions. Sensitivity and specificity were estimated by comparing to thick/thin blood smear, the gold standard, and to PCR, which is a more sensitive. RESULTS A total of 390 participants (54.9% female) with a median age of 18 (± 0.8) years were included in the study. The sensitivity of both Advantage P.f. Malaria Card® and Advantage Malaria Pan + Pf Card® compared to thick/thin blood smear was 91.8% and 91.3%, respectively, and for both the specificity was 94.7%. Compared to PCR, the sensitivity was 84.2% and 83.8%, respectively, and the specificity 96.5%. CONCLUSIONS The performances of the Advantage P.f. Malaria Card® and Advantage Malaria PAN + Pf Card® compared to microscopy, considered the gold standard, were acceptable under the field conditions found in Togo. They can therefore be used for the biological diagnosis of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diwaba Carmel Teou
- Faculté Des Sciences, Université de Lomé, Boulevard Eyadema, 01BP 1515, Lomé, Togo.
| | - Ameyo Monique Dorkenoo
- Faculté Des Sciences de La Santé, Université de Lomé, Boulevard Eyadema, 01BP 1515, Lomé, Togo
| | - Essoham Ataba
- Ministère de la Santé de L'Hygiène Publique et de L'Accès Universel Aux Soins, Programme National de Lutte Contre Le Paludisme, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 518, Lomé, Togo
| | - Smaila Alidou
- Département de Santé Publique, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Kossi Yakpa
- Ministère de la Santé de L'Hygiène Publique et de L'Accès Universel Aux Soins, Programme National de Lutte Contre Le Paludisme, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 518, Lomé, Togo
| | - Agueregna Abdou-Kerim
- Ministère de la Santé de L'Hygiène Publique et de L'Accès Universel Aux Soins, Institut National d'Hygiène, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 1396, Lomé, Togo
| | - Issaka Maman
- Ministère de la Santé de L'Hygiène Publique et de L'Accès Universel Aux Soins, Institut National d'Hygiène, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 1396, Lomé, Togo
| | - Amegnona Agbonon
- Faculté Des Sciences, Université de Lomé, Boulevard Eyadema, 01BP 1515, Lomé, Togo
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11
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Tarama CW, Soré H, Siribié M, Débé S, Kinda R, Nonkani WG, Tiendrebeogo F, Bantango W, Yira K, Hien EY, Guelbéogo MW, Traoré Y, Ménard D, Gansané A. Assessing the histidine-rich protein 2/3 gene deletion in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Burkina Faso. Malar J 2023; 22:363. [PMID: 38017455 PMCID: PMC10685617 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04796-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dual hrp2/hrp3 genes deletions in P. falciparum isolates are increasingly reported in malaria-endemic countries and can produce false negative RDT results leading to inadequate case management. Data on the frequency of hrp2/hrp3 deleted parasites are rarely available and it has become necessary to investigate the issue in Burkina Faso. METHODS Plasmodium falciparum-positive dried blood spots were collected during a cross-sectional household survey of the malaria asymptomatic children from Orodara, Gaoua, and Banfora. Amplicons from the target regions (exon 2 of hrp2 and hrp3 genes) were generated using multiplexed nested PCR and sequenced according to Illumina's MiSeq protocol. RESULTS A total of 251 microscopically positive parasite isolates were sequenced to detect hrp2 and hrp3 gene deletions. The proportion of RDTs negative cases among microscopy positive slides was 12.7% (32/251). The highest prevalence of negative RDTs was found in Orodara 14.3% (5/35), followed by Gaoua 13.1%(24/183), and Banfora 9.1% (3/33). The study found that 95.6% of the parasite isolates were wild type hrp2/ hrp3 while 4.4% (11/251) had a single hrp2 deletion. Of the 11 hrp2 deletion samples, 2 samples were RDT negative (mean parasitaemia was 83 parasites/ μL) while 9 samples were RDT positive with a mean parasitaemia of 520 parasites /μL (CI95%: 192-1239). The highest frequency of hrp2 deletion 4/35 (11.4%) was found in Orodara, while it was similar in the other two sites (< 3.5%). No single deletion of the hrp3 or dual deletion hrp2/3 gene was detected in this study. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that P. falciparum isolates lacking hrp2 genes are present in 4.4% of samples obtained from the asymptomatic children population in three sites in Burkina Faso. These parasites are circulating and causing malaria, but they are also still detectable by HRP2-based RTDs due to the presence of the intact pfhrp3 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Harouna Soré
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Mafama Siribié
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Siaka Débé
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Réné Kinda
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Wendyam Gérard Nonkani
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Farida Tiendrebeogo
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Winnie Bantango
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Kassoum Yira
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | | | | | - Yves Traoré
- Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Didier Ménard
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Genetic and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, 75015, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines, F-75015, Paris, France
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, Université de Strasbourg, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, CHU Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Adama Gansané
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
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12
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Agaba BB, Rugera SP, Mpirirwe R, Atekat M, Okubal S, Masereka K, Erionu M, Adranya B, Nabirwa G, Odong PB, Mukiibi Y, Ssewanyana I, Nabadda S, Muwanguzi E. Asymptomatic malaria infection, associated factors and accuracy of diagnostic tests in a historically high transmission setting in Northern Uganda. Malar J 2022; 21:392. [PMID: 36550492 PMCID: PMC9783970 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04421-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asymptomatic malaria infections are important parasite reservoirs and could sustain transmission in the population, but they are often unreported. A community-based survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with asymptomatic malaria infections in a historically high transmission setting in northern Uganda. METHODS Using a cross-sectional design, 288 children aged 2-15 years were enrolled and tested for the presence of malaria parasites using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and blood smear microscopy between January to May 2022. Statistical analysis was performed using the exact binomial and Fisher's exact test with p ≤ 0.05 indicating significance. The logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with asymptomatic malaria infections. RESULTS Overall, the prevalence of asymptomatic infection was 34.7% (95% CI 29.2-40.5) with the highest observed in children 5-10 years 45.9% (95% CI 35.0-57.0). Gweri village accounted for 39.1% (95% CI 27.6-51.6) of malaria infections. Median parasite density was 1500 parasites/µl of blood. Plasmodium falciparum was the dominant species (86%) followed by Plasmodium malariae (5%). Factors associated with asymptomatic malaria infection were sleeping under mosquito net (Adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 0.27; 95% CI 0.13-0.56), p = 0.001 and presence of village health teams (VHTs) (aOR 0.02; 95% CI 0.01-0.45), p = 0.001. Sensitivity and specificity were higher for the P. falciparum/pLDH RDTs compared to HRP2-only RDTs, 90% (95% CI 86.5-93.5) and 95.2% (95% CI 92.8-97.7), p = 0.001, respectively. CONCLUSION Asymptomatic malaria infections were present in the study population and this varied with place and person in the different age groups. Plasmodium falciparum was the dominant parasite species however the presence of P. malariae and Plasmodium ovale was observed, which may have implication for the choice and deployment of diagnostic tools. Individuals who slept under mosquito net or had presence of functional VHTs were less likely to have asymptomatic malaria infection. P.f/pLDH RDTs performed better than the routinely used HRP2 RDTs. In view of these findings, investigation and reporting of asymptomatic malaria reservoirs through community surveys is recommended for accurate disease burden estimate and better targeting of control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bosco B. Agaba
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda ,grid.415705.2National Malaria Control Division, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda ,National Malaria Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory Services, Kampala, Uganda ,grid.463352.50000 0004 8340 3103Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Simon P. Rugera
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Ruth Mpirirwe
- grid.11194.3c0000 0004 0620 0548Department of Statistics, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Martha Atekat
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Samuel Okubal
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Khalid Masereka
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Miseal Erionu
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Bosco Adranya
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Gertrude Nabirwa
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Patrick B. Odong
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Yasin Mukiibi
- Uganda Institute of Allied and Management Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Isaac Ssewanyana
- National Malaria Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory Services, Kampala, Uganda ,grid.463352.50000 0004 8340 3103Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Susan Nabadda
- National Malaria Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory Services, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Enoch Muwanguzi
- grid.33440.300000 0001 0232 6272Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda ,Uganda Institute of Allied and Management Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
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13
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Stabler TC, Dwivedi A, Shrestha B, Joshi S, Schindler T, Ouattara A, García GA, Daubenberger C, Silva JC. Gene Coverage Count and Classification (GC 3): a locus sequence coverage assessment tool using short-read whole genome sequencing data, and its application to identify and classify histidine-rich protein 2 and 3 deletions in Plasmodium falciparum. Malar J 2022; 21:357. [PMID: 36447234 PMCID: PMC9706933 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04376-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to effectively detect active infections is being compromised by the presence of malaria strains with genomic deletions at the hrp2 and hrp3 loci, encoding the antigens most commonly targeted in diagnostics for Plasmodium falciparum detection. The presence of such deletions can be determined in publically available P. falciparum whole genome sequencing (WGS) datasets. A computational approach was developed and validated, termed Gene Coverage Count and Classification (GC3), to analyse genome-wide sequence coverage data and provide informative outputs to assess presence and coverage profile of a target locus in WGS data. GC3 was applied to detect deletions at hrp2 and hrp3 (hrp2/3) and flanking genes in different geographic regions and across time points. METHODS GC3 uses Python and R scripts to extract locus read coverage metrics from mapped WGS data according to user-defined parameters and generates relevant tables and figures. GC3 was tested using WGS data for laboratory reference strains with known hrp2/3 genotypes, and its results compared to those of a hrp2/3-specific qPCR assay. Samples with at least 25% of coding region positions with zero coverage were classified as having a deletion. Publicly available sequence data was analysed and compared with published deletion frequency estimates. RESULTS GC3 results matched the expected coverage of known laboratory reference strains. Agreement between GC3 and a hrp2/3-specific qPCR assay reported for 19/19 (100%) hrp2 deletions and 18/19 (94.7%) hrp3 deletions. Among Cambodian (n = 127) and Brazilian (n = 20) WGS datasets, which had not been previously analysed for hrp2/3 deletions, GC3 identified hrp2 deletions in three and four samples, and hrp3 deletions in 10 and 15 samples, respectively. Plots of hrp2/3 coding regions, grouped by year of sample collection, showed a decrease in median standardized coverage among Malawian samples (n = 150) suggesting the importance of a careful, properly controlled follow up to determine if an increase in frequency of deletions has occurred between 2007-2008 and 2014-2015. Among Malian (n = 90) samples, median standardized coverage was lower in 2002 than 2010, indicating widespread deletions present at the gene locus in 2002. CONCLUSIONS The GC3 tool accurately classified hrp2/3 deletions and provided informative tables and figures to analyse targeted gene coverage. GC3 is an appropriate tool when performing preliminary and exploratory assessment of locus coverage data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Stabler
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Ankit Dwivedi
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Biraj Shrestha
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sudhaunshu Joshi
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tobias Schindler
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Amed Ouattara
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Claudia Daubenberger
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joana C Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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14
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Bendezu J, Torres K, Villasis E, Incardona S, Bell D, Vinetz J, Gamboa D. Geographical distribution and genetic characterization of pfhrp2 negative Plasmodium falciparum parasites in the Peruvian Amazon. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273872. [PMID: 36413547 PMCID: PMC9681099 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been evaluated in the Peruvian Amazon region and their performance has been variable. This region is known for being the first with documented evidence of wild Plasmodium falciparum parasites lacking pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes, leading to false-positive results with HRP2-based RDTs. In our attempt to further characterize the deletion pattern of these genes and their evolutionary relationship, 93 P. falciparum samples, collected in different communities from the Peruvian Amazon region between 2009 and 2010, were analyzed in this study. Genomic DNA was used to amplify 18S rRNA, pfmsp2 and pfglurp to confirm the diagnosis and DNA quality, respectively; pfhrp2, pfhrp3, and their flanking genes were amplified by PCR to assess the pattern of the gene deletions. In addition, microsatellite analysis were performed using seven neutral microsatellites (MS) and five microsatellite loci flanking pfhrp2. The data showed the absence of pfhrp3 gene in 53.76% (50/93) of the samples, reflecting a higher frequency than the proportion of pfhrp2 gene deletions (33.33%; 31/93). Among the flanking genes, the highest frequency of deletion was observed in the PF3D7_0831900 gene (78.49%; 73/93) for pfhrp2. MS marker analysis showed the presence of 8 P. falciparum lineages. The lineage Bv1 was the most prevalent among parasites lacking pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes. Additionally, using MS flanking pfhrp2 gene, the haplotypes α and δ were found to be the most abundant in this region. This study confirms the presence in this area of field isolates with deletions in either pfhrp2, pfhrp3, or both genes, along with their respective flanking regions. Our data suggest that some pfhrp2/pfhrp3 deletion haplotypes, in special the lineage Bv1, are widely dispersed within the Peruvian Amazon. The persistence of these haplotypes ensures a proportion of P.falciparum parasites lacking the pfhrp2/pfhrp3 genes in this area, which ultimately leads to false-negative results on PfHRP2-detecting malaria RDTs. However, additional studies are needed to not only confirm this hypothesis but also to further delineate the origin and genetic basis for the pfhrp2- and pfhrp3 gene deletions in wild P. falciparum parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Bendezu
- Laboratorio de Malaria, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Escuela Universitaria de Posgrado, Universidad Nacional Federico Villareal, Lima, Peru
| | - Katherine Torres
- Laboratorio de Malaria, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Elizabeth Villasis
- Laboratorio de Malaria, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - David Bell
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joseph Vinetz
- Laboratorio de Malaria, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Dionicia Gamboa
- Laboratorio de Malaria, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
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15
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Molina-de la Fuente I, Yimar M, García L, González V, Amor A, Anegagrie M, Benito A, Martínez J, Moreno M, Berzosa P. Deletion patterns, genetic variability and protein structure of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3: implications for malaria rapid diagnostic test in Amhara region, Ethiopia. Malar J 2022; 21:287. [PMID: 36209103 PMCID: PMC9548178 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04306-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) play a key role in malaria-control strategies, their efficacy has been threatened by deletion and genetic variability of the genes pfhrp2/3. This study aims to characterize the deletion, genetic patterns and diversity of these genes and their implication for malaria RDT effectiveness, as well as their genetic evolution in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Methods The study included 354 isolates from symptomatic patients from the Amhara region of Ethiopia who tested positive by microscopy. Exon 1–2 and exon 2 of genes pfhrp2 and -3 were amplified, and exon 2 was sequenced to analyse the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationship and epitope availability. Results The deletion frequency in exon 1–2 and exon 2 was 22 and 4.6% for pfhrp2, and 68 and 18% for pfhrp3, respectively. Double deletion frequency for pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 was 1.4%. High genetic diversity, lack of clustering by phylogenetic analysis and evidence of positive selection suggested a diversifying selection for both genes. The amino-acid sequences, classified into different haplotypes, varied widely in terms of frequency of repeats, with novel amino-acid changes. Aminoacidic repetition type 2 and type 7 were the most frequent in all the sequences. The most frequent epitopes among protein sequences were those recognized by MAbs 3A4 and C1-13. Conclusion Deletions and high amino acidic variation in pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 suggest their possible impact on RDT use in the Amhara region, and the high genetic diversity of these genes could be associated with a diversifying selection in Ethiopia. Surveillance of these genes is, therefore, essential to ensure the effectiveness of public health interventions in this region. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-022-04306-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Molina-de la Fuente
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. .,Malaria and Neglected Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. .,Public Health and Epidemiology Research Group, School of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mulat Yimar
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Luz García
- Malaria and Neglected Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERINFECT - CIBER Infectious Diseases (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Vicenta González
- Malaria and Neglected Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERINFECT - CIBER Infectious Diseases (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Arancha Amor
- Mundo Sano Foundations, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Melaku Anegagrie
- Mundo Sano Foundations, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín Benito
- Malaria and Neglected Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERINFECT - CIBER Infectious Diseases (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Moreno
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Pedro Berzosa
- Malaria and Neglected Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERINFECT - CIBER Infectious Diseases (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
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Deshmukh SS, Byaruhanga O, Tumwebaze P, Akin D, Greenhouse B, Egan ES, Demirci U. Automated Recognition of Plasmodium falciparum Parasites from Portable Blood Levitation Imaging. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2105396. [PMID: 35957519 PMCID: PMC9534981 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In many malaria-endemic regions, current detection tools are inadequate in diagnostic accuracy and accessibility. To meet the need for direct, phenotypic, and automated malaria parasite detection in field settings, a portable platform to process, image, and analyze whole blood to detect Plasmodium falciparum parasites, is developed. The liberated parasites from lysed red blood cells suspended in a magnetic field are accurately detected using this cellphone-interfaced, battery-operated imaging platform. A validation study is conducted at Ugandan clinics, processing 45 malaria-negative and 36 malaria-positive clinical samples without external infrastructure. Texture and morphology features are extracted from the sample images, and a random forest classifier is trained to assess infection status, achieving 100% sensitivity and 91% specificity against gold-standard measurements (microscopy and polymerase chain reaction), and limit of detection of 31 parasites per µL. This rapid and user-friendly platform enables portable parasite detection and can support malaria diagnostics, surveillance, and research in resource-constrained environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya S. Deshmukh
- Department of BioengineeringStanford University Schools of Engineering and MedicineStanfordCA94305USA
- Canary Center for Early Cancer DetectionBioacoustic MEMS in Medicine LabDepartment of RadiologyStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCA94305USA
| | | | | | - Demir Akin
- Canary Center for Early Cancer DetectionBioacoustic MEMS in Medicine LabDepartment of RadiologyStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCA94305USA
| | - Bryan Greenhouse
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCA94110USA
| | - Elizabeth S. Egan
- Department of PediatricsStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCA94305USA
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCA94305USA
| | - Utkan Demirci
- Canary Center for Early Cancer DetectionBioacoustic MEMS in Medicine LabDepartment of RadiologyStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCA94305USA
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Martiáñez-Vendrell X, Skjefte M, Sikka R, Gupta H. Factors Affecting the Performance of HRP2-Based Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:tropicalmed7100265. [PMID: 36288006 PMCID: PMC9611031 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7100265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted global malaria elimination programs, resulting in a sharp increase in malaria morbidity and mortality. To reduce this impact, unmet needs in malaria diagnostics must be addressed while resuming malaria elimination activities. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), the unsung hero in malaria diagnosis, work to eliminate the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria through their efficient, cost-effective, and user-friendly qualities in detecting the antigen HRP2 (histidine-rich protein 2), among other proteins. However, the testing mechanism and management of malaria with RDTs presents a variety of limitations. This paper discusses the numerous factors (including parasitic, host, and environmental) that limit the performance of RDTs. Additionally, the paper explores outside factors that can hinder RDT performance. By understanding these factors that affect the performance of HRP2-based RDTs in the field, researchers can work toward creating and implementing more effective and accurate HRP2-based diagnostic tools. Further research is required to understand the extent of these factors, as the rapidly changing interplay between parasite and host directly hinders the effectiveness of the tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Martiáñez-Vendrell
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, LUMC Center for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands or
| | - Malia Skjefte
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ruhi Sikka
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Applied Sciences & Humanities, GLA University, Mathura 281406, UP, India
| | - Himanshu Gupta
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Applied Sciences & Humanities, GLA University, Mathura 281406, UP, India
- Correspondence: or
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Owalla TJ, Hergott DEB, Seilie AM, Staubus W, Chavtur C, Chang M, Kublin JG, Egwang TG, Murphy SC. Rethinking detection of pre-existing and intervening Plasmodium infections in malaria clinical trials. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1003452. [PMID: 36203582 PMCID: PMC9531235 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1003452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-existing and intervening low-density Plasmodium infections complicate the conduct of malaria clinical trials. These infections confound infection detection endpoints, and their immunological effects may detract from intended vaccine-induced immune responses. Historically, these infections were often unrecognized since infrequent and often analytically insensitive parasitological testing was performed before and during trials. Molecular diagnostics now permits their detection, but investigators must weigh the cost, complexity, and personnel demands on the study and the laboratory when scheduling such tests. This paper discusses the effect of pre-existing and intervening, low-density Plasmodium infections on malaria vaccine trial endpoints and the current methods employed for their infection detection. We review detection techniques, that until recently, provided a dearth of cost-effective strategies for detecting low density infections. A recently deployed, field-tested, simple, and cost-effective molecular diagnostic strategy for detecting pre-existing and intervening Plasmodium infections from dried blood spots (DBS) in malaria-endemic settings is discussed to inform new clinical trial designs. Strategies that combine sensitive molecular diagnostic techniques with convenient DBS collections and cost-effective pooling strategies may enable more thorough and informative infection monitoring in upcoming malaria clinical trials and epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonny J. Owalla
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Med Biotech Laboratories, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dianna E. B. Hergott
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Annette M. Seilie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Weston Staubus
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Chris Chavtur
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Ming Chang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - James G. Kublin
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Seattle Malaria Clinical Trials Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Thomas G. Egwang
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Med Biotech Laboratories, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sean C. Murphy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Seattle Malaria Clinical Trials Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States,Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,*Correspondence: Sean C. Murphy,
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Comparative Assessment of the Sensitivity of Ten Commercial Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits for the Detection of Plasmodium. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12092240. [PMID: 36140641 PMCID: PMC9498274 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12092240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most common tropical diseases encountered by members of the French military who are deployed in operations under constrained conditions in malaria-endemic areas. Blood smear microscopy—the gold standard for malaria diagnosis—is often not available in such settings, where the detection of malaria relies on rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Ten RDTs (from Biosynex, Carestart, Humasis, SD Bioline, and CTK Biotech), based on the detection of the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) or lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH, PfLDH, or PvLDH), were assessed against 159 samples collected from imported malaria cases, including 79 P. falciparum, 37 P. vivax, 22 P. ovale, and 21 P. malariae parasites. Samples had been previously characterised using microscopy and real-time PCR. The overall sensitivities for the Plasmodium test ranged from 69.8% (111/159) to 95% (151/159). There was no significant difference for the specific detection of P. falciparum (96.2% to 98.7%, p = 0.845). No significant difference was found between sensitivities to P. vivax by pan LDH or pvLDH (81.1% (30/37) to 94.6% (35/37) (p = 0.845)). Some of the RDTs missed most of P. ovale and P. malariae, with sensitivities for all RDTs ranging respectively from 4.5% (1/22) to 81.8% (18/22) and 14.3% (3/21) to 95.2% (20/21). Carestart Malaria Pf/Pan (pLDH) Ag G0121, a pLDH-based RDT (PfLDH and pLDH), showed the highest sensitivities to P. falciparum (98.7%, 78/79), P. vivax (94.6%, 35/37), P. ovale (81.8%, 18/22), and P. malariae (95.2%, 20/21) and meets the requirements for military deployments in malaria-endemic areas.
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20
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Lynch E, Jensen TO, Assao B, Chihana M, Turuho T, Nyehangane D, Manyok JB, Pasquale H, Khim N, Witkowski B, Coldiron ME. Evaluation of HRP2 and pLDH-based rapid diagnostic tests for malaria and prevalence of pfhrp2/3 deletions in Aweil, South Sudan. Malar J 2022; 21:261. [PMID: 36085071 PMCID: PMC9461093 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04280-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for malaria are the primary tool for malaria diagnosis in sub-Saharan Africa but the utility of the most commonly used histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) antigen-based tests is limited in high transmission settings due to the long duration of positivity after successful malaria treatment. HRP2 tests are also threatened by the emergence of Plasmodium that do not carry pfhrp2 or pfhrp 3 genes. Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH)-based tests are promising alternatives, but less available. This study assessed the performances of HRP2 and pLDH(pan) tests under field conditions. METHODS The study performed a prospective facility-based diagnostic evaluation of two malaria RDTs in Aweil, South Sudan, during the high transmission season. Capillary blood by fingerprick was collected from 800 children under 15 years of age with fever and no signs of severity. SD Bioline HRP2 and CareStart pLDH(pan) RDTs were performed in parallel, thick and thin smears for microscopy were examined, and dried blood was used for PCR testing. RESULTS Using microscopy as the gold standard, the sensitivity of both tests was estimated at > 99%, but the specificity of each was lower: 55.0% for the pLDH test and 61.7% for the HRP2 test. When using PCR as the gold standard, the sensitivity of both tests was lower than the values assessed using microscopy (97.0% for pLDH and 96.5% for HRP2), but the specificity increased (65.1% for pLDH and 72.9% for HRP2). Performance was similar across different production lots, sex, and age. Specificity of both the pLDH and HRP2 tests was significantly lower in children who reported taking a therapeutic course of anti-malarials in the 2 months prior to enrollment. The prevalence of pfhrp2/3 deletions in the study population was 0.6%. CONCLUSIONS The low specificity of the pLDH RDT in this setting confirms previous results and suggests a problem with this specific test. The prevalence of pfhrp2/3 deletions in the study area warrants continued monitoring and underscores the relevance of assessing deletion prevalence nationally. Improved malaria RDTs for high-transmission environments are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Lynch
- Epicentre, 14-34 Avenue Jean Jaurès, Paris, France.
| | - Tomas O Jensen
- Médecins Sans Frontières, 14-34 Avenue Jean Jaurès, Paris, France.,Center of Excellence for Health, Immunity, and Infections (CHIP) and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - John B Manyok
- Médecins Sans Frontières - France, Aweil, South Sudan
| | | | - Nimol Khim
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Benoit Witkowski
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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21
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Comparison of Rapid Diagnostic Test, Microscopy, and Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Detection of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in a Low-Transmission Area, Jazan Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12061485. [PMID: 35741295 PMCID: PMC9222139 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12061485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the performances of a rapid diagnostic test (RDT)—the AllTest Malaria p.f./p.v., microscopy, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosing Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 400 febrile patients from a low-transmission region (Jazan) in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Diagnostic performance of all three methods was compared using microscopy and nested PCR as reference methods. Overall, 42 (10.5%), 48 (12.0%), and 57 (14.3%) samples were found positive by microscopy, RDT, and PCR, respectively. With PCR as reference method, the RDT showed higher sensitivity (79% vs. 71.9%), similar specificity (99.1% vs. 99.7%), and better NLR (0.20 vs. 0.27) and area under the curve (89.0% vs. 85.8%) than microscopy. The sensitivity of RDT and microscopy decreased as age increased, and false negatives were associated with low parasite density. In addition, the sensitivity of RDT and microscopy was higher in non-Saudi than in Saudi participants. Against microscopy, both RDT and PCR showed high sensitivity (83.3% vs. 97.6%), specificity (96.4% vs. 95.5%), and NPVs (98.0% vs. 99.7%), but reduced PPVs (72.9% vs. 71.9%), respectively. The results showed that the performance of the AllTest Malaria p.f./p.v RDT was better than that of microscopy in diagnosing P. falciparum malaria among febrile patients in the Jazan region when nested PCR was used as the reference. However, further studies are required to assess malaria diagnostic methods among asymptomatic individuals in the region.
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22
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Eyong EM, Etutu SJM, Jerome FC, Nyasa RB, Kwenti TE, Moyeh MN. Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 and 3 gene deletion in the Mount Cameroon region. IJID REGIONS (ONLINE) 2022; 3:300-307. [PMID: 35755467 PMCID: PMC9216387 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
pfhrp2/3 gene deletions occur in parasite populations in the Mount Cameroon region pfhrp2-negative parasites are the more common in the Mount Cameroon region pfhrp2/3-negative parasites negatively impact malaria rapid diagnostic test success
Objective Plasmodium falciparum produces histidine-rich protein 2/3 (Pfhrp2/3) genes that accumulate to high levels in the bloodstream and serve as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for falciparum malaria. Pfhrp2/3 gene deletions may lead to false-negative rapid diagnostic test (RDT) results. We aimed to determine the prevalence of pfhrp2/3 gene deletions in P. falciparum isolates and the implications for RDT use in the Mount Cameroon region. Methods A cross-sectional hospital-based study with malaria diagnosis performed using microscopy, RDT and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). In total, 324 P. falciparum microscopy positive individuals were enrolled and their samples confirmed positive for P. falciparum using 18SrRNA PCR. Samples that gave false-negative RDT results were analyzed to detect pfhrp2/3 exon 2 deletions. Results Of 324 positive microscopic and nPCR samples, 16 gave RDT false-negative results. Among the 324 P. falciparum positive isolates, exon 2 deletions were observed in 2.2% (7 of 324); 3 were negative for pfhrp2 gene, 2 for pfhrp3, and 2 for both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 (double deletions). Conclusion P. falciparum isolates with pfhrp2/3 gene deletion were present in the parasite populations and may contribute to the RDT false-negative results in the Mount Cameroon region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esum Mathias Eyong
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon
| | - Sophie Jose Molua Etutu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon
| | - Fru-Cho Jerome
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon
| | - Raymond Babila Nyasa
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon
| | - Tebit Emmanuel Kwenti
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon
| | - Marcel N Moyeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, South West Region of Cameroon
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Deletions of the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 genes are common in field isolates from north-eastern Tanzania. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5802. [PMID: 35388127 PMCID: PMC8987040 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09878-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum parasites lacking histidine-rich protein 2 and 3 (pfhrp2/3) genes have been reported in several parts of the world. These deletions are known to compromise the effectiveness of HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (HRP2-RDT). The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) in Tanzania adopted HRP2-RDTs as a routine tool for malaria diagnosis in 2009 replacing microscopy in many Health facilities. We investigated pfhrp2/3 deletions in 122 samples from two areas with diverse malaria transmission intensities in Northeastern Tanzania. Pfhrp2 deletion was confirmed in 1.6% of samples while pfhrp3 deletion was confirmed in 50% of samples. We did not find parasites with both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions among our samples. Results from this study highlight the need for systematic surveillance of pfhrp2/3 deletions in Tanzania to understand their prevalence and determine their impact on the performance of mRDT.
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24
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Kumari MS, Sharma S, Bhardwaj N, Kumar S, Ahmed MZ, Pande V, Anvikar AR. Pfhrp2/3 gene deletion and genetic variation in PfHRP2-based RDTs with P. falciparum positive samples from India and its implication on malaria control. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 99:105232. [PMID: 35114396 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have documented Pfhrp2/3 gene deletion globally as one of the biological threats in the fight against malaria. For malaria diagnosis, PfHRP2 based RDTs are most widely used in India, and performance of these RDTs are affected by deleted Pfhrp2/3 gene in Plasmodium falciparum. This study was planned to confirm Pfhrp2/3 gene deletion incidences and genetic variation in PfHRP2-based RDT positive with P.falciparum malaria cases from India. METHODOLOGY Confirmed positive samples by PfHRP2-based RDTs as P. falciparum (n = 240) from six different endemic regions of India were validated by PCR to assure the actual infection. Two hundred forty samples qualified for DNA intactness by single-copy genes were subjected to amplification for the Pfhrp2/3 gene and its neighbouring gene (downstream and upstream) by PCR genotyping. Genetic variation in samples was analysed post-sequencing using Mega X software. Statistical analysis was performed to validate the genetic variation using Mann-Whitney Test. RESULTS RDT target region of Pfhrp2 gene (exon2) was found deleted in a single sample with presence of the Pfhrp3 exon2. Complete gene deletion of 4.2% was observed in the Pfhrp3 gene. Partial gene deletion was recorded for both pfhrp2 gene (exon2-0.4%, upstream 25.8% and downstream -9.1%) and Pfhrp3 gene (exon2-18.75%, upstream - 22.08% and downstream 13.3%). Eleven new unique types of amino acid repeat sequence and earlier reported amino acid repeat type was found in the Pfhrp2 gene, prompting high genetic variation. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that parasites lacking Pfhrp2/3 gene and its neighbouring gene (downstream and upstream) are present in malaria endemic areas of India, resulting in false positive results by RDT. Systematic countrywide monitoring for malaria control and elimination of malaria is warranted in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ms Sarita Kumari
- National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR), Sector - 8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India; Kumaun University, Sleepy Hallow, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001, India
| | - Supriya Sharma
- National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR), Sector - 8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India.
| | - Nitin Bhardwaj
- National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR), Sector - 8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India; Kumaun University, Sleepy Hallow, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001, India
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR), Sector - 8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India; Kumaun University, Sleepy Hallow, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001, India
| | - Md Zohaib Ahmed
- National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR), Sector - 8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India; Kumaun University, Sleepy Hallow, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001, India
| | - Veena Pande
- Kumaun University, Sleepy Hallow, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001, India
| | - Anupkumar R Anvikar
- National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR), Sector - 8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India.
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Rogier E, McCaffery JN, Nace D, Svigel SS, Assefa A, Hwang J, Kariuki S, Samuels AM, Westercamp N, Ratsimbasoa A, Randrianarivelojosia M, Uwimana A, Udhayakumar V, Halsey ES. Plasmodium falciparum pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 Gene Deletions from Persons with Symptomatic Malaria Infection in Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, and Rwanda. Emerg Infect Dis 2022; 28:608-616. [PMID: 35201739 PMCID: PMC8888236 DOI: 10.3201/eid2803.211499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)–based rapid diagnostic tests detect Plasmodium falciparum malaria and are used throughout sub-Saharan Africa. However, deletions in the pfhrp2 and related pfhrp3 (pfhrp2/3) genes threaten use of these tests. Therapeutic efficacy studies (TESs) enroll persons with symptomatic P. falciparum infection. We screened TES samples collected during 2016–2018 in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Madagascar for HRP2/3, pan-Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase, and pan-Plasmodium aldolase antigen levels and selected samples with low levels of HRP2/3 for pfhrp2/3 genotyping. We observed deletion of pfhrp3 in samples from all countries except Kenya. Single-gene deletions in pfhrp2 were observed in 1.4% (95% CI 0.2%–4.8%) of Ethiopia samples and in 0.6% (95% CI 0.2%–1.6%) of Madagascar samples, and dual pfhrp2/3 deletions were noted in 2.0% (95% CI 0.4%–5.9%) of Ethiopia samples. Although this study was not powered for precise prevalence estimates, evaluating TES samples revealed a low prevalence of pfhrp2/3 deletions in most sites.
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Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 and 3 genes deletion in global settings (2010–2021): a systematic review and meta-analysis. Malar J 2022; 21:26. [PMID: 35093092 PMCID: PMC8800273 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04051-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The usefulness of histidine-rich protein-2/3 (HRP2/3)-based rapid diagnostic tests of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum has been threatened by the appearance of mutant PfHRP2/3 genes. This study was undertaken to determine the global pooled estimates of PfHRP2/3gene deletions. Methods Relevant publications were identified from electronic databases such as; PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE online. Besides, all the relevant literatures were retrieved through Google and Google Scholar. STATA software was used for data analysis. The pooled estimates were calculated using random effect model. The summary estimates were presented using forest plots and tables. Results A total of 27 studies were included in the systematic review. However, only 24 and 17 studies were included for PfHRP2 and 3 gene deletion meta-analysis, respectively. The prevalence of PfHRP2 gene deletion across the individual studies ranged from the highest 100% to the lowest 0%. However, the meta-analysis result showed that the global pooled prevalence of PfHRP2 and PfHRP3 gene deletions were 21.30% and 34.50%, respectively. The pooled proportion of PfHRP2 gene deletion among false negative PfHRP2-based RDTs results was found to be 41.10%. The gene deletion status was higher in South America and followed by Africa. The pooled estimate of PfHRP2 gene deletion among studies, which did not follow the WHO PfHRP2/3 gene deletion analysis protocol was higher than their counter parts (21.3% vs 10.5%). Conclusions This review showed that there is a high pooled prevalence of PfHRP2/3 gene deletions in Plasmodium falciparum confirmed isolates and also a high proportion of their deletions among false-negative malaria cases using PfHRP2-based RDT results. Hence, malaria diagnosis based on PfHRP2-based rapid tests seems to be less sensitive and warrants further evaluation of PfHRP2/3 gene deletions.
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Chaudhry A, Cunningham J, Cheng Q, Gatton ML. Modelling the epidemiology of malaria and spread of HRP2-negative Plasmodium falciparum following the replacement of HRP2-detecting rapid diagnostic tests. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 2:e0000106. [PMID: 36962137 PMCID: PMC10021339 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are dominated by products which use histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) to detect Plasmodium falciparum. The emergence of parasites lacking the pfhrp2 gene can lead to high rates of false-negative results amongst these RDTs. One solution to restore the ability to correctly diagnose falciparum malaria is to switch to an RDT which is not solely reliant on HRP2. This study used an agent-based stochastic simulation model to investigate the impact on prevalence and transmission caused by switching the type of RDT used once false-negative rates reached pre-defined thresholds within the treatment-seeking symptomatic population. The results show that low transmission settings were the first to reach the false-negative switch threshold, and that lower thresholds were typically associated with better long-term outcomes. Changing the diagnostic RDT away from a HRP2-only RDT is predicted to restore the ability to correctly diagnose symptomatic malaria infections, but often did not lead to the extinction of HRP2-negative parasites from the population which continued to circulate in low density infections, or return to the parasite prevalence and transmission levels seen prior to the introduction of the HRP2-negative parasite. In contrast, failure to move away from HRP2-only RDTs leads to near fixation of these parasites in the population, and the inability to correctly diagnose symptomatic cases. Overall, these results suggest pfhrp2-deleted parasites are likely to become a significant component of P. falciparum parasite populations, and that long-term strategies are needed for diagnosis and surveillance which do not rely solely on HRP2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha Chaudhry
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jane Cunningham
- Global Malaria Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Qin Cheng
- Department of Drug Resistance and Diagnostics, Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Diseases Institute, Brisbane, Australia
- ADFMIDI Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michelle L Gatton
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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Izere C, Niyigena J, Tuyishime JDD, Nshimiyimana A, Habyarimana T, Ndishimye P, Yadufashije C, Niyonzima FN. Correlation of Malaria Rapid Test and Peripheral Blood Smear Microscopy among Patients attending Byumba Health Centre. East Afr Health Res J 2022; 6:203-207. [PMID: 36751677 PMCID: PMC9887511 DOI: 10.24248/eahrj.v6i2.700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria presents a diagnostic challenge in most tropical countries including Rwanda. Microscopy remains the gold standard for diagnosing malaria, however, it is labour intensive and depends upon the skill of the examiner. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (MRDTs) have been developed as an easy, convenient alternative to microscopy. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted from October to November 2019 on 130 febrile patients who were directed to the laboratory department for blood screening for malaria parasites at Byumba Health centre. The main objective of this study was to correlate Microscopy and MRDTs in diagnosis of malaria. Results After signing a consent form, blood samples were collected and screened for malaria parasites microscopically and by using MRDTs. Data collection forms were filled with relevant information and obtained results for MRDTs and for peripheral blood smear were recorded. The collected data were statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism 9 software. The mean age found to be 16 years old. In this study peripheral blood smear microscopy was considered as a reference method. The sensitivity and specificity of RDT Histidine-Rich Protein 2 (HRP-2) were calculated and found to be 96.6% and 60% respectively. The negative predictive value was found to be 92.85% where positive predictive value was 73.3%. Conclusion MRDTs should be used along with microscopy to avert complications associated with delayed diagnosis and similar studies are required to identify alternative techniques with high specificity for the diagnosis of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedrick Izere
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Ines-Ruhengeri Institute of Applied Sciences, Musanze district, Northern Province, Rwanda,Correspondence to Cedrick Izere ()
| | - Joyce Niyigena
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Ines-Ruhengeri Institute of Applied Sciences, Musanze district, Northern Province, Rwanda
| | - Jean de Dieu Tuyishime
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Ines-Ruhengeri Institute of Applied Sciences, Musanze district, Northern Province, Rwanda
| | - Alexis Nshimiyimana
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Ines-Ruhengeri Institute of Applied Sciences, Musanze district, Northern Province, Rwanda
| | - Thierry Habyarimana
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Ines-Ruhengeri Institute of Applied Sciences, Musanze district, Northern Province, Rwanda
| | - Pacifique Ndishimye
- Department of Medical Research Center, Rwanda Biomedical Center, Kigali City, Rwanda
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Evaluation of the usefulness of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in a context with increased resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in Kingasani Hospital, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 94:105009. [PMID: 34284138 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) threatens its usefulness for intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp-SP). The prophylactic effects of IPTp-SP on maternal malaria and adverse pregnancy outcomes were evaluated in Kingasani Hospital, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). METHODS Laboring women (n = 844) and respective newborns were investigated. Blood samples collected from women were tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic test (RDT), blood smears examination, and real-time PCR. The hemoglobin level was measured by HemoCue© analyzer. A PCR-RFLP method was applied for detecting N51I, C59R, and S108N mutations on dhfr along with A437G and K540E mutations on dhps in P. falciparum positive samples. Logistic regression models assessed relationships between IPTp-SP uptake and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS P. falciparum malaria was detected at delivery in 10.8% of women and was statistically associated with fever during the pregnancy (OR = 2.9 [1.5; 6.3]; p = 0.004) and maternal anemia (OR = 3.9 [2.4; 6.3]; p < 0.001). One out of five parasites was a quintuple mutant encoding dhfr mutations 51I, 59R, and 108 N along with dhps mutations 437G and 540E. The molecular profile of parasites (i.e., 32.6% of parasites carrying dhps K540E) was suitable with continued use of SP for IPTp. IPTp-SP uptake was not associated with reduced maternal malaria, fever reported in pregnancy, or fetal deaths (p > 0.05). Conversely, three or more doses of SP were associated with reduced maternal anemia at delivery (OR = 0.4 [0.2; 0.9]; p = 0.024), shortened gestation (OR = 0.4 [0.2; 0.8]; p = 0.009), and low-birth weights (OR = 0.2 [0.1; 0.5]; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION IPTp-SP was not associated with reduced maternal malaria in our study, but evidence was found of a prophylactic effect against adverse pregnancy outcomes. To counteract further loss of clinical effects of IPTp-SP in the study population, alternative strategies able to improve its anti-malarial efficacy such as combination of SP with partner molecules should be implemented.
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Molina-de la Fuente I, Pastor A, Herrador Z, Benito A, Berzosa P. Impact of Plasmodium falciparum pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions on malaria control worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Malar J 2021; 20:276. [PMID: 34158065 PMCID: PMC8220794 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03812-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Deletion of pfhrp2 and/or pfhrp3 genes cause false negatives in malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and threating malaria control strategies. This systematic review aims to assess the main methodological aspects in the study of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions and its global epidemiological status, with special focus on their distribution in Africa; and its possible impact in RDT. Methods The systematic review was conducted by examining the principal issues of study design and methodological workflow of studies addressing pfhrp2 deletion. Meta-analysis was applied to represent reported prevalences of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 single and double deletion in the World Health Organization (WHO) region. Pooled-prevalence of deletions was calculated using DerSimonnian-Laird random effect model. Then, in-deep analysis focused on Africa was performed to assess possible variables related with these deletions. Finally, the impact of these deletions in RDT results was analysed combining reported information about RDT sensitivity and deletion prevalences. Results 49 articles were included for the systematic review and 37 for the meta-analysis, 13 of them placed in Africa. Study design differs significantly, especially in terms of population sample and information reported, resulting in high heterogeneity between studies that difficulties comparisons and merged conclusions. Reported prevalences vary widely in all the WHO regions, significantly higher deletion were reported in South-Central America, following by Africa and Asia. Pfhrp3 deletion is more prevalent (43% in South-Central America; 3% in Africa; and 1% in Asia) than pfhrp2 deletion (18% in South-Central America; 4% in Africa; and 3% in Asia) worldwide. In Africa, there were not found differences in deletion prevalence by geographical or population origin of samples. The prevalence of deletion among false negatives ranged from 0 to 100% in Africa, but in Asia and South-Central America was only up to 90% and 48%, respectively, showing substantial relation between deletions and false negatives. Conclusion The concerning prevalence of pfhrp2, pfhrp3 and pfhrp2/3 gene deletions, as its possible implications in malaria control, highlights the importance of regular and systematic surveillance of these deletions. This review has also outlined that a standardized methodology could play a key role to ensure comparability between studies to get global conclusions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-021-03812-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Molina-de la Fuente
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. .,Malaria and Neglected Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain. .,Public Health and Epidemiology Research Group, School of Medicine, University of Alcalá, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Andrea Pastor
- Public Health and Epidemiology Research Group, School of Medicine, University of Alcalá, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Zaida Herrador
- National Centre of Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Network Biomedical Research on Tropical Diseases (RICET in Spanish), Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín Benito
- Malaria and Neglected Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Network Biomedical Research on Tropical Diseases (RICET in Spanish), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Berzosa
- Malaria and Neglected Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Network Biomedical Research on Tropical Diseases (RICET in Spanish), Madrid, Spain
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Prosser C, Gresty K, Ellis J, Meyer W, Anderson K, Lee R, Cheng Q. Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein 2 and 3 Gene Deletions in Strains from Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:471-479. [PMID: 33496220 PMCID: PMC7853540 DOI: 10.3201/eid2702.191410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletion of histidine-rich protein genes pfhrp2/3 in Plasmodium falciparum causes infections to go undetected by HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests. We analyzed P. falciparum malaria cases imported to Australia (n = 210, collected 2010–2018) for their pfhrp2/3 status. We detected gene deletions in patients from 12 of 25 countries. We found >10% pfhrp2-deletion levels in those from Nigeria (13.3%, n = 30), Sudan (11.2%, n = 39), and South Sudan (17.7%, n = 17) and low levels of pfhrp3 deletion from Sudan (3.6%) and South Sudan (5.9%). No parasites with pfhrp2/3 double deletions were detected. Microsatellite typing of parasites from Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan revealed low relatedness among gene-deleted parasites, indicating independent emergences. The gene deletion proportions signify a risk of false-negative HRP2-RDT results. This study’s findings warrant surveillance to determine whether the prevalence of gene-deleted parasites justifies switching malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan.
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Laboratory Detection of Malaria Antigens: a Strong Tool for Malaria Research, Diagnosis, and Epidemiology. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0025020. [PMID: 34043447 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00250-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification and characterization of proteins produced during human infection with Plasmodium spp. have guided the malaria community in research, diagnosis, epidemiology, and other efforts. Recently developed methods for the detection of these proteins (antigens) in the laboratory have provided new types of data that can inform the evaluation of malaria diagnostics, epidemiological investigations, and overall malaria control strategies. Here, the focus is primarily on antigens that are currently known to be detectable in human specimens and on their impact on the understanding of malaria in human populations. We highlight historical and contemporary laboratory assays for malaria antigen detection, the concept of an antigen profile for a biospecimen, and ways in which binary results for a panel of antigens could be interpreted and utilized for different analyses. Particular emphasis is given to the direct comparison of field-level malaria diagnostics and laboratory antigen detection for the development of an external evaluation scheme. The current limitations of laboratory antigen detection are considered, and the future of this developing field is discussed.
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Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum isolates lacking the histidine rich protein 2 gene among symptomatic malaria patients in Kwilu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Infect Dis Poverty 2021; 10:77. [PMID: 34034827 PMCID: PMC8146217 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-021-00860-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests have become a primary and critical tool for malaria diagnosis in malaria-endemic countries where Plasmodium falciparum Histidine Rich Protein 2-based rapid diagnostic tests (PfHRP2-based RDTs) are widely used. However, in the last decade, the accuracy of PfHRP2-based RDTs has been challenged by the emergence of P. falciparum strains harbouring deletions of the P. falciparum histidine rich protein 2 (pfhrp2) gene, resulting in false-negative results. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R. Congo), little is known about the prevalence of the pfhrp2 gene deletion among P. falciparum isolates infecting symptomatic patients, especially in low to moderate transmission areas where pfhrp2 deletion parasites are assumed to emerge and spread. Here we determine the local prevalence and factors associated with pfhrp2 gene deletions among symptomatic malaria patients in the Kwilu Province of the D.R. Congo. Methods We used secondary data from a prospective health facility-based cross-sectional study conducted in 2018. Blood was collected for microscopy, PfHRP2-RDT, and spotted onto Whatman filter paper for downstream genetic analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted and used to perform PCR assays for the detection and confirmation of pfhrp2 gene deletions. Fischer’s exact and the Kruskal–Wallis tests were applied to look for associations between potential explanatory variables and the pfhrp2 gene deletion with a level of statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Results Of the 684 enrolled symptomatic patients, 391 (57.7%) were female. The majority (87.7%) reported the presence of mosquito breeding sites within the household’s compound, and fever was the most reported symptom (81.6%). The overall prevalence of the pfhrp2 gene deletion was 9.2% (95% CI: 6.7%–12.1%). The deletion of the pfhrp2 gene was associated with health zone of origin (P = 0.012) and age (P = 0.019). Among false-negative PfHRP2-RDT results, only 9.9% were due to pfhrp2 gene deletion. Conclusions P. falciparum isolates with pfhrp2 gene deletions are relatively common among symptomatic patients in Kwilu province. Further investigations are needed to provide enough evidence for policy change. Meanwhile, the use of RDTs targeting PfHRP2 and parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) antigens could limit the spread of deleted isolates. Graphic Abstract ![]()
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Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests: Literary Review and Recommendation for a Quality Assurance, Quality Control Algorithm. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11050768. [PMID: 33922917 PMCID: PMC8145891 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11050768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have had an enormous global impact which contributed to the World Health Organization paradigm shift from empiric treatment to obtaining a parasitological diagnosis prior to treatment. Microscopy, the classic standard, requires significant expertise, equipment, electricity, and reagents. Alternatively, RDT’s lower complexity allows utilization in austere environments while achieving similar sensitivities and specificities. Worldwide, there are over 200 different RDT brands that utilize three antigens: Plasmodium histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP-2), Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH), and Plasmodium aldolase (pALDO). pfHRP-2 is produced exclusively by Plasmodium falciparum and is very Pf sensitive, but an alternative antigen or antigen combination is required for regions like Asia with significant Plasmodium vivax prevalence. RDT sensitivity also decreases with low parasitemia (<100 parasites/uL), genetic variability, and prozone effect. Thus, proper RDT selection and understanding of test limitations are essential. The Center for Disease Control recommends confirming RDT results by microscopy, but this is challenging, due to the utilization of clinical laboratory standards, like the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the Clinical Lab Improvement Act (CLIA), and limited recourses. Our focus is to provide quality assurance and quality control strategies for resource-constrained environments and provide education on RDT limitations.
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Schlabe S, Reiter-Owona I, Nordmann T, Dolscheid-Pommerich R, Tannich E, Hoerauf A, Rockstroh J. Rapid diagnostic test negative Plasmodium falciparum malaria in a traveller returning from Ethiopia. Malar J 2021; 20:145. [PMID: 33712017 PMCID: PMC7952815 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03678-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium falciparum strains with mutations/deletions of the genes encoding the histidine-rich proteins 2/3 (pfhrp2/3) have emerged during the last 10 years leading to false-negative results in HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). This can lead to unrecognized infections in individuals and to setbacks in malaria control in endemic countries where RDTs are the backbone of malaria diagnostics and control. Case description Here the detection of a pfhrp2/3-negative P. falciparum infection acquired in Ethiopia by a 63-year old female traveller is presented. After onset of symptoms during travel, she was first tested negative for malaria, most probably by RDT, at a local hospital in Harar, Ethiopia. Falciparum malaria was finally diagnosed microscopically upon her return to Germany, over 4 weeks after infection. At a parasite density of approximately 5387 parasites/µl, two different high-quality RDTs: Palutop + 4 OPTIMA, NADALRMalaria PF/pan Ag 4 Species, did not respond at their respective P. falciparum test lines. pfhrp2/3 deletion was confirmed by multiplex-PCR. The patient recovered after a complete course of atovaquone and proguanil. According to the travel route, malaria was acquired most likely in the Awash region, Central Ethiopia. This is the first case of imported P. falciparum with confirmed pfhrp2/3 deletion from Ethiopia. Conclusion HRP2-negative P. falciparum strains may not be recognized by the presently available HRP2-based RDTs. When malaria is suspected, confirmation by microscopy and/or qPCR is necessary in order to detect falciparum malaria, which requires immediate treatment. This case of imported P. falciparum, non-reactive to HRP2-based RDT, possibly underlines the necessity for standardized, nationwide investigations in Ethiopia and should alert clinicians from non-endemic countries to the possibility of false-negative RDT results which may increase in returning travellers with potentially life-threatening infections. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-021-03678-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schlabe
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, Building 26, 53127, Bonn, Germany. .,German Centre of Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Ingrid Reiter-Owona
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tamara Nordmann
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, Building 26, 53127, Bonn, Germany.,National Reference Centre for Tropical Pathogens, Bernhard Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Egbert Tannich
- National Reference Centre for Tropical Pathogens, Bernhard Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,German Centre of Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jürgen Rockstroh
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, Building 26, 53127, Bonn, Germany.,German Centre of Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
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Gibbons J, Qin J, Malla P, Wang Z, Brashear A, Wang C, Miao J, Adams JH, Kim K, Jiang R, Cui L. Lineage-Specific Expansion of Plasmodium falciparum Parasites With pfhrp2 Deletion in the Greater Mekong Subregion. J Infect Dis 2021; 222:1561-1569. [PMID: 32386321 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Deletion of the pfhrp2 gene in Plasmodium falciparum can lead to false-negative rapid diagnostic test (RDT) results, constituting a major challenge for evidence-based malaria treatment. Here we analyzed the whole genome sequences of 138 P. falciparum clinical samples collected from the China-Myanmar boarder for pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions. We found pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions in 9.4% and 3.6% of samples, respectively, with no samples harboring deletions of both genes. The pfhrp2 deletions showed 2 distinct breakpoints, representing 2 different chromosomal deletion events. A phylogenetic analysis performed using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms revealed that the 2 pfhrp2 breakpoint groups as well as all the pfhrp3-negative parasites formed separate clades, suggesting they might have resulted from clonal expansion of pfhrp2- and pfhrp3-negative parasites. These findings highlight the need for urgent surveys to determine the prevalence of pfhrp2-negative parasites causing false-negative RDT results and a plan for switching of RDTs pending the survey results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Gibbons
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Junling Qin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Pallavi Malla
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Zenglei Wang
- The National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Beijing Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Awtum Brashear
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Kami Kim
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Rays Jiang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Liwang Cui
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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Alemayehu GS, Blackburn K, Lopez K, Cambel Dieng C, Lo E, Janies D, Golassa L. Detection of high prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 gene deletions in Assosa zone, Ethiopia: implication for malaria diagnosis. Malar J 2021; 20:109. [PMID: 33622309 PMCID: PMC8095343 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03629-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) targeting histidine rich protein 2(HRP2) are widely used for diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum infections. Besides PfHRP2, the PfHRP3 antigen contributes to the detection of P. falciparum infections in PfHRP2 RDTs. However, the performance HRP2-based RDT is affected by pfhrp2/3 gene deletions resulting in false-negative test results. The objective of this study was to determine the presence and prevalence of pfhrp2/3 gene deletions including the respective flanking regions among symptomatic patients in Assosa zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A health-facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in febrile patients seeking a malaria diagnosis in 2018. Blood samples were collected by finger-prick for microscopic examination of blood smears, malaria RDT, and molecular analysis using dried blood spots (DBS) prepared on Whatman filter paper. A total of 218 P. falciparum positive samples confirmed by quantitative PCR were included for molecular assay of pfhrp2/3 target gene. Results Of 218 P. falciparum positive samples, exon 2 deletions were observed in 17.9% of pfhrp2 gene and in 9.2% of pfhrp3 gene. A high proportion of deletions in short segments of pfhrp2 exon1-2 (50%) was also detected while the deletions of the pfhrp3 exon1-2 gene were 4.1%. The deletions were extended to the downstream and upstream of the flanking regions in pfhrp2/3 gene (above 30%). Of eighty-six PfHRP2 RDT negative samples, thirty-six lacked pfhrp2 exon 2. Five PfHRP2 RDT negative samples had double deletions in pfhrp2 exon 2 and pfhrp3 exon2. Of these double deletions, only two of the samples with a parasite density above 2000 parasite/µl were positive by the microscopy. Three samples with intact pfhrp3 exon2 in the pfhrp2 exon2 deleted parasite isolates were found to be positive by PfHRP2 RDT and microscopy with a parasite density above 10,000/µl. Conclusion This study confirms the presence of deletions of pfhrp2/3 gene including the flanking regions. Pfhrp2/3 gene deletions results in false-negative results undoubtedly affect the current malaria control and elimination effort in the country. However, further countrywide investigations are required to determine the magnitude of pfhrp2/3 gene deletions and its consequences on routine malaria diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kayla Blackburn
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA
| | - Karen Lopez
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA
| | - Cheikh Cambel Dieng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA
| | - Eugenia Lo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA
| | - Daniel Janies
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA
| | - Lemu Golassa
- Addis Ababa University, Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Bamou R, Nematchoua-Weyou Z, Lontsi-Demano M, Ningahi LG, Tchoumbou MA, Defo-Talom BA, Mayi MPA, Tchuinkam T. Performance assessment of a widely used rapid diagnostic test CareStart™ compared to microscopy for the detection of Plasmodium in asymptomatic patients in the Western region of Cameroon. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06271. [PMID: 33665437 PMCID: PMC7897993 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
While malaria remains a serious public health concern, its rapid or prompt diagnosis in remote areas is important in the fight against the disease. The study aimed to evaluate the performance of widely used Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits for routinely detection of Plasmodium asymptomatic patients. A total of 400 asymptomatic participants of both sexes aged between 1-89 years from Menoua Division (Santchou and Dschang) were tested for malaria infection using both microscopy and CareStart™ RDT. The prevalence of malaria was higher when using the standard gold tool (Microscopy) (26.0%) compared to RDT (21.8%) with a significant difference (P < 0.05). However, a strong agreement was observed between both tests (kappa = 0.883; P < 0.0001). RDT CareStart™ sensitivity and specificity were 83.65% and 100% respectively while the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 100% and 95.57% respectively. RDT sensitivity increased with parasite density while false negative (40.4%; n = 17) were observed only when parasite density was low (<500 parasites per microliter of blood). RDT kits appear to be good tools in areas where malaria diagnosis through microscopy is not feasible. However, the low sensibility observed when parasite density is low could be a concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Bamou
- Vector Borne Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (VBID-URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang, P.O. Box 067, Cameroon
- Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Paludisme, Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), B. P.288 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Zidedine Nematchoua-Weyou
- Vector Borne Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (VBID-URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang, P.O. Box 067, Cameroon
| | - Michel Lontsi-Demano
- Vector Borne Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (VBID-URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang, P.O. Box 067, Cameroon
| | - Laura Gilberine Ningahi
- Vector Borne Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (VBID-URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang, P.O. Box 067, Cameroon
| | - Melanie Adèle Tchoumbou
- Vector Borne Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (VBID-URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang, P.O. Box 067, Cameroon
| | - Blaise Armand Defo-Talom
- Vector Borne Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (VBID-URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang, P.O. Box 067, Cameroon
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, P.O Box: 2008, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Marie Paul Audrey Mayi
- Vector Borne Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (VBID-URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang, P.O. Box 067, Cameroon
| | - Timoléon Tchuinkam
- Vector Borne Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit (VBID-URBEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science of the University of Dschang, P.O. Box 067, Cameroon
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Nsobya SL, Walakira A, Namirembe E, Kiggundu M, Nankabirwa JI, Ruhamyankaka E, Arinaitwe E, Conrad MD, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ. Deletions of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes were uncommon in rapid diagnostic test-negative Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Uganda. Malar J 2021; 20:4. [PMID: 33386076 PMCID: PMC7777526 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03547-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) play a key role in malaria case management. The most widely used RDT identifies Plasmodium falciparum based on immunochromatographic recognition of P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2). Deletion of the paralogous pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes leads to false-negative PfHRP2-based RDTs, and has been reported in P. falciparum infections from South America and Africa. However, identification of pfhrp2/pfhrp3 deletions has usually been based only on failure to amplify these genes using PCR, without confirmation based on PfHRP2 protein expression, and understanding of the true prevalence of deletions is incomplete. METHODS Deletions of pfhrp2/pfhrp3 in blood samples were investigated from cross-sectional surveys in 2012-13 in three regions of varied malaria transmission intensity in Uganda. Samples with positive Giemsa-stained thick blood smears, but negative PfHRP2-based RDTs were evaluated by PCR amplification of conserved subunit ribosomal DNA for Plasmodium species, PCR amplification of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes to identify deletions, and bead-based immunoassays for expression of PfHRP2. RESULTS Of 3516 samples collected in cross-sectional surveys, 1493 (42.5%) had positive blood smears, of which 96 (6.4%) were RDT-negative. Of these 96 RDT-negative samples, P. falciparum DNA was identified by PCR in 56 (58%) and only non-falciparum plasmodial DNA in 40 (42%). In all 56 P. falciparum-positive samples there was a failure to amplify pfhrp2 or pfhrp3: in 25 (45%) pfhrp2 was not amplified, in 39 (70%) pfhrp3 was not amplified, and in 19 (34%) neither gene was amplified. For the 39 P. falciparum-positive, RDT-negative samples available for analysis of protein expression, PfHRP2 was not identified by immunoassay in only four samples (10.3%); these four samples all had failure to amplify both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 by PCR. Thus, only four of 96 (4.2%) smear-positive, RDT-negative samples had P. falciparum infections with deletion of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 confirmed by failure to amplify the genes by PCR and lack of expression of PfHRP2 demonstrated by immunoassay. CONCLUSION False negative RDTs were uncommon. Deletions in pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 explained some of these false negatives, but most false negatives were not due to deletion of the pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam L Nsobya
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda. .,Department of Pathology, College of Health Science, Makerere University Kampala, Kampala, Uganda.
| | | | | | - Moses Kiggundu
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joaniter I Nankabirwa
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda.,Department of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | | | - Melissa D Conrad
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Moses R Kamya
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda.,Department of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Grant Dorsey
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philip J Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Bosco AB, Nankabirwa JI, Yeka A, Nsobya S, Gresty K, Anderson K, Mbaka P, Prosser C, Smith D, Opigo J, Namubiru R, Arinaitwe E, Kissa J, Gonahasa S, Won S, Lee B, Lim CS, Karamagi C, Cheng Q, Nakayaga JK, Kamya MR. Limitations of rapid diagnostic tests in malaria surveys in areas with varied transmission intensity in Uganda 2017-2019: Implications for selection and use of HRP2 RDTs. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244457. [PMID: 33382787 PMCID: PMC7774953 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are exclusively recommended for malaria diagnosis in Uganda; however, their functionality can be affected by parasite-related factors that have not been investigated in field settings. METHODS Using a cross-sectional design, we analysed 219 RDT-/microscopy+ and 140 RDT+/microscopy+ dried blood spots obtained from symptomatic children aged 2-10 years from 48 districts in Uganda between 2017 and 2019. We aimed to investigate parasite-related factors contributing to false RDT results by molecular characterization of parasite isolates. ArcGIS software was used to map the geographical distribution of parasites. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests, with P ≤ 0.05 indicating significance. Odds ratios (ORs) were used to assess associations, while logistic regression was performed to explore possible factors associated with false RDT results. RESULTS The presence of parasite DNA was confirmed in 92.5% (332/359) of the blood samples. The levels of agreement between the HRP2 RDT and PCR assay results in the (RDT+/microscopy+) and (RDT-/microscopy+) sample subsets were 97.8% (137/140) and 10.9% (24/219), respectively. Factors associated with false-negative RDT results in the (RDT-/microscopy+) samples were parasite density (<1,000/μl), pfhrp2/3 gene deletion and non-P. falciparum species (aOR 2.65, 95% CI: 1.62-4.38, P = 0.001; aOR 4.4, 95% CI 1.72-13.66, P = 0.004; and aOR 18.65, 95% CI: 5.3-38.7, P = 0.001, respectively). Overall, gene deletion and non-P. falciparum species contributed to 12.3% (24/195) and 19.0% (37/195) of false-negative RDT results, respectively. Of the false-negative RDTs results, 80.0% (156/195) were from subjects with low-density infections (< 25 parasites per 200 WBCs or <1,000/μl). CONCLUSION This is the first evaluation and report of the contributions of pfhrp2/3 gene deletion, non-P. falciparum species, and low-density infections to false-negative RDT results under field conditions in Uganda. In view of these findings, the use of HRP2 RDTs should be reconsidered; possibly, switching to combination RDTs that target alternative antigens, particularly in affected areas, may be beneficial. Future evaluations should consider larger and more representative surveys covering other regions of Uganda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agaba B. Bosco
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- National Malaria Control Division, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joaniter I. Nankabirwa
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Adoke Yeka
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sam Nsobya
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Karryn Gresty
- Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Queensland, Australia
- The Army Malaria Institute Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Karen Anderson
- Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Queensland, Australia
- The Army Malaria Institute Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Paul Mbaka
- World Health Organization Country Office, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Christiane Prosser
- Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Queensland, Australia
| | - David Smith
- Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Queensland, Australia
- The Army Malaria Institute Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jimmy Opigo
- National Malaria Control Division, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Rhoda Namubiru
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - John Kissa
- National Health Information Division, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Sungho Won
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, S. Korea
| | - Bora Lee
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, S. Korea
| | - Chae Seung Lim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, S. Korea
| | - Charles Karamagi
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Qin Cheng
- Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Queensland, Australia
- The Army Malaria Institute Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joan K. Nakayaga
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses R. Kamya
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
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Gatton ML, Chaudhry A, Glenn J, Wilson S, Ah Y, Kong A, Ord RL, Rees-Channer RR, Chiodini P, Incardona S, Cheng Q, Aidoo M, Cunningham J. Impact of Plasmodium falciparum gene deletions on malaria rapid diagnostic test performance. Malar J 2020; 19:392. [PMID: 33148265 PMCID: PMC7640408 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03460-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have greatly improved access to diagnosis in endemic countries. Most RDTs detect Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2), but their sensitivity is seriously threatened by the emergence of pfhrp2-deleted parasites. RDTs detecting P. falciparum or pan-lactate dehydrogenase (Pf- or pan-LDH) provide alternatives. The objective of this study was to systematically assess the performance of malaria RDTs against well-characterized pfhrp2-deleted P. falciparum parasites. Methods Thirty-two RDTs were tested against 100 wild-type clinical isolates (200 parasites/µL), and 40 samples from 10 culture-adapted and clinical isolates of pfhrp2-deleted parasites. Wild-type and pfhrp2-deleted parasites had comparable Pf-LDH concentrations. Pf-LDH-detecting RDTs were also tested against 18 clinical isolates at higher density (2,000 parasites/µL) lacking both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3. Results RDT positivity against pfhrp2-deleted parasites was highest (> 94%) for the two pan-LDH-only RDTs. The positivity rate for the nine Pf-LDH-detecting RDTs varied widely, with similar median positivity between double-deleted (pfhrp2/3 negative; 63.9%) and single-deleted (pfhrp2-negative/pfhrp3-positive; 59.1%) parasites, both lower than against wild-type P. falciparum (93.8%). Median positivity for HRP2-detecting RDTs against 22 single-deleted parasites was 69.9 and 35.2% for HRP2-only and HRP2-combination RDTs, respectively, compared to 96.0 and 92.5% for wild-type parasites. Eight of nine Pf-LDH RDTs detected all clinical, double-deleted samples at 2,000 parasites/µL. Conclusions The pan-LDH-only RDTs evaluated performed well. Performance of Pf-LDH-detecting RDTs against wild-type P. falciparum does not necessarily predict performance against pfhrp2-deleted parasites. Furthermore, many, but not all HRP2-based RDTs, detect pfhrp2-negative/pfhrp3-positive samples, with implications for the HRP2-based RDT screening approach for detection and surveillance of HRP2-negative parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alisha Chaudhry
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Yong Ah
- The CDC Foundation, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amy Kong
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA
| | | | | | - Peter Chiodini
- Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, UK.,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sandra Incardona
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Qin Cheng
- Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Diseases Institute (FORMERLY Australian Army Malaria Institute), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael Aidoo
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA
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Bakari C, Jones S, Subramaniam G, Mandara CI, Chiduo MG, Rumisha S, Chacky F, Molteni F, Mandike R, Mkude S, Njau R, Herman C, Nace DP, Mohamed A, Udhayakumar V, Kibet CK, Nyanjom SG, Rogier E, Ishengoma DS. Community-based surveys for Plasmodium falciparum pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions in selected regions of mainland Tanzania. Malar J 2020; 19:391. [PMID: 33148255 PMCID: PMC7640459 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03459-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are effective and widely used for the detection of wild-type Plasmodium falciparum infections. Although recent studies have reported false negative HRP2 RDT results due to pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions in different countries, there is a paucity of data on the deletions of these genes in Tanzania. METHODS A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between July and November 2017 in four regions: Geita, Kigoma, Mtwara and Ruvuma. All participants had microscopy and RDT performed in the field and provided a blood sample for laboratory multiplex antigen detection (for Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase, aldolase, and P. falciparum HRP2). Samples showing RDT false negativity or aberrant relationship of HRP2 to pan-Plasmodium antigens were genotyped to detect the presence/absence of pfhrp2/3 genes. RESULTS Of all samples screened by the multiplex antigen assay (n = 7543), 2417 (32.0%) were positive for any Plasmodium antigens while 5126 (68.0%) were negative for all antigens. The vast majority of the antigen positive samples contained HRP2 (2411, 99.8%), but 6 (0.2%) had only pLDH and/or aldolase without HRP2. Overall, 13 samples had an atypical relationship between a pan-Plasmodium antigen and HRP2, but were positive by PCR. An additional 16 samples with negative HRP2 RDT results but P. falciparum positive by microscopy were also chosen for pfhrp2/3 genotyping. The summation of false negative RDT results and laboratory antigen results provided 35 total samples with confirmed P. falciparum DNA for pfhrp2/3 genotyping. Of the 35 samples, 4 (11.4%) failed to consistently amplify positive control genes; pfmsp1 and pfmsp2 and were excluded from the analysis. The pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes were successfully amplified in the remaining 31 (88.6%) samples, confirming an absence of deletions in these genes. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that P. falciparum parasites in the study area have no deletions of both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes. Although single gene deletions could have been missed by the multiplex antigen assay, the findings support the continued use of HRP2-based RDTs in Tanzania for routine malaria diagnosis. There is a need for the surveillance to monitor the status of pfhrp2 and/or pfhrp3 deletions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Bakari
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
- National Institute for Medical Research, Tanga Research Centre, Tanga, Tanzania
| | - Sophie Jones
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Williams Consulting, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gireesh Subramaniam
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Celine I Mandara
- National Institute for Medical Research, Tanga Research Centre, Tanga, Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Mercy G Chiduo
- National Institute for Medical Research, Tanga Research Centre, Tanga, Tanzania
| | - Susan Rumisha
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Frank Chacky
- National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | | | - Renata Mandike
- National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Sigsbert Mkude
- National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Ritha Njau
- World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Camelia Herman
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- CDC Foundation (CDCF), Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Douglas P Nace
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ally Mohamed
- National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Venkatachalam Udhayakumar
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Caleb K Kibet
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Steven G Nyanjom
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eric Rogier
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Deus S Ishengoma
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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Varo R, Balanza N, Mayor A, Bassat Q. Diagnosis of clinical malaria in endemic settings. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2020; 19:79-92. [PMID: 32772759 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2020.1807940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Malaria continues to be a major global health problem, with over 228 million cases and 405,000 deaths estimated to occur annually. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of malaria is essential to decrease the burden and impact of this disease, particularly in children. We aimed to review the main available techniques for the diagnosis of clinical malaria in endemic settings and explore possible future options to improve its rapid recognition. AREAS COVERED literature relevant to malaria diagnosis was identified through electronic searches in Pubmed, with no language or date restrictions and limited to humans. EXPERT OPINION Light microscopy is still considered the gold standard method for malaria diagnosis and continues to be at the frontline of malaria diagnosis. However, technologies as rapid diagnostic tests, mainly those who detect histidine-rich protein-2, offer an accurate, rapid and affordable alternative for malaria diagnosis in endemic areas. They are now the technique most extended in endemic areas for parasitological confirmation. In these settings, PCR-based assays are usually restricted to research and they are not currently helpful in the management of clinical malaria. Other technologies, such as isothermal methods could be an interesting and alternative approach to PCR in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosauro Varo
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat De Barcelona , Barcelona, Spain.,Centro De Investigação Em Saúde De Manhiça (CISM) , Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Núria Balanza
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat De Barcelona , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat De Barcelona , Barcelona, Spain.,Centro De Investigação Em Saúde De Manhiça (CISM) , Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat De Barcelona , Barcelona, Spain.,Centro De Investigação Em Saúde De Manhiça (CISM) , Maputo, Mozambique.,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23 , Barcelona, Spain.,Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan De Deu (University of Barcelona) , Barcelona, Spain.,Consorcio De Investigación Biomédica En Red De Epidemiología Y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) , Madrid, Spain
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Bosco AB, Anderson K, Gresty K, Prosser C, Smith D, Nankabirwa JI, Nsobya S, Yeka A, Opigo J, Gonahasa S, Namubiru R, Arinaitwe E, Mbaka P, Kissa J, Won S, Lee B, Lim CS, Karamagi C, Cunningham J, Nakayaga JK, Kamya MR, Cheng Q. Molecular surveillance reveals the presence of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions in Plasmodium falciparum parasite populations in Uganda, 2017-2019. Malar J 2020; 19:300. [PMID: 32843041 PMCID: PMC7449024 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03362-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are the only RDTs recommended for malaria diagnosis in Uganda. However, the emergence of Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein 2 and 3 (pfhrp2 and pfhrp3) gene deletions threatens their usefulness as malaria diagnostic and surveillance tools. The pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions surveillance was conducted in P. falciparum parasite populations in Uganda. Methods Three-hundred (n = 300) P. falciparum isolates collected from cross-sectional malaria surveys in symptomatic individuals in 48 districts of eastern and western Uganda were analysed for the presence of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes. Presence of parasite DNA was confirmed by PCR amplification of the 18s rRNA gene, msp1 and msp2 single copy genes. Presence or absence of deletions was confirmed by amplification of exon1 and exon2 of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 using gene specific PCR. Results Overall, pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions were detected in 29/300 (9.7%, 95% CI 6.6–13.6%) parasite isolates. The pfhrp2 gene was deleted in 10/300 (3.3%, 95% CI 1.6–6.0%) isolates, pfhrp3 in 9/300 (3.0%, 95% CI 1.4–5.6%) while both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 were deleted in 10/300 (3.3%, 95% CI 1.6–6.0%) parasite isolates. Proportion of pfhrp2/3 deletions was higher in the eastern 14.7% (95% CI 9.7–20.0%) compared to the western region 3.1% (95% CI 0.8–7.7%), p = 0.001. Geographical location was associated with gene deletions aOR 6.25 (2.02–23.55), p = 0.003. Conclusions This is the first large-scale survey reporting the presence of pfhrp2/3 gene deletions in P. falciparum isolates in Uganda. Roll out of RDTs for malaria diagnosis should take into consideration the existence of pfhrp2/3 gene deletions particularly in areas where they were detected. Periodic pfhrp2/3 surveys are recommended to inform future decisions for deployment of alternative RDTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agaba B Bosco
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. .,National Malaria Control Division, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Karen Anderson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Enoggera, Australia
| | - Karryn Gresty
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Enoggera, Australia
| | - Christiane Prosser
- Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Enoggera, Australia
| | - David Smith
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Enoggera, Australia
| | - Joaniter I Nankabirwa
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.,Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sam Nsobya
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.,Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Adoke Yeka
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.,Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jimmy Opigo
- National Malaria Control Division, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Rhoda Namubiru
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Paul Mbaka
- World Health Organization Country Office, Kampala, Uganda
| | - John Kissa
- National Health Information Division, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sungho Won
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Bora Lee
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chae Seung Lim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Charles Karamagi
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Joan K Nakayaga
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses R Kamya
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.,Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Qin Cheng
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Enoggera, Australia
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45
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Uyoga S, Wanjiku P, Rop JC, Makale J, Macharia AW, Nyutu GM, Shebe M, Awuondo KA, Mturi N, Woodrow CJ, Dondorp AM, Maitland K, Williams TN. Plasma Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein-2 concentrations in children with malaria infections of differing severity in Kilifi, Kenya. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 73:e2415-e2423. [PMID: 32772115 PMCID: PMC8492128 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Most previous studies support a direct link between total parasite load and the clinical severity of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections. Methods We estimated P. falciparum parasite loads in 3 groups of children with malaria infections of differing severity: (1) children with World Health Organization–defined severe malaria (n = 1544), (2) children admitted with malaria but without features of severity (n = 200), and (3) children in the community with asymptomatic parasitemia (n = 33). Results Peripheral parasitemias were highest in those with uncomplicated malaria (geometric mean [GM] parasite count, 111 064/μL; 95% confidence interval, CI, 86 798–141 819/μL), almost 3 times higher than in those with severe malaria (39 588/μL; 34 990–44 791/μL) and >100 times higher than in those with asymptomatic malaria (1092/μL; 523–2280/μL). However, the GM P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) values (95% CI) increased with severity, being 7 (4–12) ng/mL in asymptomatic malaria, 843 (655–1084) ng/mL in uncomplicated malaria, and 1369 (1244–1506) ng/mL in severe malaria. PfHRP2 concentrations were markedly lower in the subgroup of patients with severe malaria and concomitant invasive bacterial infections of blood or cerebrospinal fluid (GM concentration, 312 ng/mL; 95% CI, 175–557 ng/mL; P < .001) than in those without such infections (1439 ng/mL; 1307–1584; P < .001). Conclusions The clinical severity of malaria infections related strongly to the total burden of P. falciparum parasites. A quantitative test for plasma concentrations of PfHRP2 could be useful in identifying children at the greatest clinical risk and identifying critically ill children in whom malaria is not the primary cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Uyoga
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | - Jesse C Rop
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Neema Mturi
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Charles J Woodrow
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit,Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health,Nuffield Department of Medicine,University of Oxford, UK
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit,Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health,Nuffield Department of Medicine,University of Oxford, UK
| | - Kathryn Maitland
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Thomas N Williams
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London, UK
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46
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Boush MA, Djibrine MA, Mussa A, Talib M, Maki A, Mohammed A, Beshir KB, Mohamed Z, Hajissa K. Plasmodium falciparum isolate with histidine-rich protein 2 gene deletion from Nyala City, Western Sudan. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12822. [PMID: 32733079 PMCID: PMC7393171 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69756-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In remote areas of malaria-endemic countries, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have dramatically improved parasitological confirmation of suspected malaria cases, especially when skilled microscopists are not available. This study was designed to determine the frequency of Plasmodium falciparum isolates with histidine-rich protein 2 (pfhrp2) gene deletion as one of the possible factors contributing to the failure of PfHRP2-based RDTs in detecting malaria. A total of 300 blood samples were collected from several health centres in Nyala City, Western Sudan. The performance of PfHRP2-based RDTs in relation to microscopy was examined and the PCR-confirmed samples were investigated for the presence of pfhrp2 gene. A total of 113 out of 300 patients were P. falciparum positive by microscopy. Among them, 93.81% (106 out of 113) were positives by the PfHRP2 RDTs. Seven isolates were identified as false negative on the basis of the RDTs results. Only one isolate (0.9%; 1/113) potentially has pfhrp2 gene deletion. The sensitivity and specificity of PfHRP2-based RDTs were 93.81% and 100%, respectively. The results provide insights into the pfhrp2 gene deletion amongst P. falciparum population from Sudan. However, further studies with a large and systematic collection from different geographical settings across the country are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A Boush
- Malaria, Centre for Disease Control, Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Leishmaniasis Control Program, State Ministry of Health, Nyala, Sudan
| | - Moussa A Djibrine
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Exact and Applied Sciences, University of N'djamena, N'djamena, Chad
| | - Ali Mussa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan.,Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
| | - Mustafa Talib
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
| | - A Maki
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Nyala, Nyala, Sudan
| | - Abdulrahman Mohammed
- National Public Health Reference Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Mogadishu, Somalia
| | - Khalid B Beshir
- Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Zeehaida Mohamed
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
| | - Khalid Hajissa
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan. .,Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
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47
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Jones S, Subramaniam G, Plucinski MM, Patel D, Padilla J, Aidoo M, Talundzic E. One-step PCR: A novel protocol for determination of pfhrp2 deletion status in Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236369. [PMID: 32702040 PMCID: PMC7377462 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) detecting rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have played an important role in enabling prompt malaria diagnosis in remote locations. However, emergence of pfhrp2 deleted parasites is threatening the efficacy of RDTs, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted surveillance of these deletions as a priority. Nested PCR is used to confirm pfhrp2 deletion but is costly and laborious. Due to spurious amplification of paralogue pfhrp3, the identity of nested exon 1 PCR product must be confirmed by sequencing. Here we describe a new one-step PCR method for detection of pfhrp2. To determine sensitivity and specificity, all PCRs were performed in triplicate. Using photo-induced electron transfer (PET) PCR detecting 18srRNA as true positive, one-step had comparable sensitivity of 95.0% (88.7–98.4%) to nested exon 1, 99.0% (94.6–99.9%) and nested exon 2, 98.0% (93.0–99.8%), and comparable specificity 93.8% (69.8–99.8%) to nested exon 1 100.0% (79.4–100.0%) and nested exon 2, 100.0% (74.4–100.0%). Sequencing revealed that one step PCR does not amplify pfhrp3. Logistic regression models applied to measure the 95% level of detection of the one-step PCR in clinical isolates provided estimates of 133p/μL (95% confidence interval (CI): 3-793p/μL) for whole blood (WB) samples and 385p/μL (95% CI: 31–2133 p/μL) for dried blood spots (DBSs). When considering protocol attributes, the one-step PCR is less expensive, faster and more suitable for high throughput. In summary, we have developed a more accurate PCR method that may be ideal for the application of the WHO protocol for investigating pfhrp2 deletions in symptomatic individuals presenting to health care facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Jones
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Williams Consulting, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Gireesh Subramaniam
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Mateusz M. Plucinski
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- President’s Malaria Initiative, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Dhruviben Patel
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Williams Consulting, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jasmine Padilla
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Biotechnology Core Facilities Branch, Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Michael Aidoo
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Eldin Talundzic
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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48
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Addai-Mensah O, Dinko B, Noagbe M, Ameke SL, Annani-Akollor ME, Owiredu EW, Mensah K, Tackie R, Togbe E, Agyare-Kwabi C, Gyasi C, Adu-Gyamfi C, Debrah AY. Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 diversity in Ghana. Malar J 2020; 19:256. [PMID: 32678034 PMCID: PMC7364488 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03328-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the absence of microscopy, Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich proteins 2 (PfHRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are recommended for the diagnosis of falciparum malaria, particularly in endemic regions. However, genetic variability of the pfhrp2 gene threatens the usefulness of the test due to its impact on RDT sensitivity. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of pfhrp2 in malaria cases among children in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Adidome Government Hospital in the Volta Region of Ghana. A total of 50 children with mean age of 6.6 ± 3.5 years and diagnosed falciparum malaria were included. Blood samples were collected for complete blood count, malaria parasite identification and counting using auto analyzer and microscopy, respectively. DNA was isolated from blood-spotted Whatman filters, amplified and sequenced. Nucleotide sequences were translated in silico to corresponding amino acids and the deduced amino acids sequences were analyzed for diversity using Mega X. Results The number of repeats and number of each repeat within PfHRP2 varied between isolates. Twelve rare PfHRP2 repeat types, two of which are previously unreported, were identified in this study. The HRP2 sequence obtained in this study shared high similarities with isolates from Kenya. Using Baker’s regression model, Group B was the highest occurring type (58.0%). Screening of all sequences for epitopes recognized by PfHRP2-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), the predominant motif was AHHAADAHH, which is recognized by the C1-13 mAbs. Conclusion This study reports diversity of P. falciparum HRP2 in samples from Ghanaian children with symptomatic malaria. The findings of this study highlight the existence of extra amino acid repeat types which adds to the PfHRP2 antigenic variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otchere Addai-Mensah
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 00233, Ghana.
| | - Bismarck Dinko
- School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Mark Noagbe
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 00233, Ghana
| | | | - Max Efui Annani-Akollor
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Eddie-Williams Owiredu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kofi Mensah
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 00233, Ghana
| | - Richmond Tackie
- School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Eliezer Togbe
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 00233, Ghana
| | - Comfort Agyare-Kwabi
- School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Charles Gyasi
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 00233, Ghana
| | - Constance Adu-Gyamfi
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 00233, Ghana
| | - Alexander Yaw Debrah
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 00233, Ghana
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49
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Thomson R, Parr JB, Cheng Q, Chenet S, Perkins M, Cunningham J. Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum lacking histidine-rich proteins 2 and 3: a systematic review. Bull World Health Organ 2020; 98:558-568F. [PMID: 32773901 PMCID: PMC7411324 DOI: 10.2471/blt.20.250621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To calculate prevalence estimates and evaluate the quality of studies reporting Plasmodium falciparum lacking histidine-rich proteins 2 and 3, to inform an international response plan. Methods We searched five online databases, without language restriction, for articles reporting original data on Plasmodium falciparum-infected patients with deletions of the pfhrp2 and/or pfhrp3 genes (pfhrp2/3). We calculated prevalence estimates of pfhrp2/3 deletions and mapped the data by country. The denominator was all P. falciparum-positive samples testing positive by microscopy and confirmed positive by species-specific polymerase chain reaction testing (PCR). If microscopy was not performed, we used the number of samples based on a different diagnostic method or PCR alone. We scored studies for risk of bias and the quality of laboratory methods using a standardized scoring system. Findings A total of 38 articles reporting 55 studies from 32 countries and one territory worldwide were included in the review. We found considerable heterogeneity in the populations studied, methods used and estimated prevalence of P. falciparum parasites with pfhrp2/3 deletions. The derived prevalence of pfhrp2 deletions ranged from 0% to 100%, including focal areas in South America and Africa. Only three studies (5%) fulfilled all seven criteria for study quality. Conclusion The lack of representative surveys or consistency in study design impairs evaluations of the risk of false-negative results in malaria diagnosis due to pfhrp2/3 deletions. Accurate mapping and strengthened monitoring of the prevalence of pfhrp2/3 deletions is needed, along with harmonized methods that facilitate comparisons across studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan B Parr
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States of America
| | - Qin Cheng
- Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stella Chenet
- Instituto de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Chachapoyas, Peru
| | - Mark Perkins
- Department of Emergency Preparedness, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jane Cunningham
- Global Malaria Programme, World Health Organization, avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
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50
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Stuck L, Fakih BS, Al-Mafazy AWH, Hofmann NE, Holzschuh A, Grossenbacher B, Bennett A, Cotter C, Reaves E, Ali A, der Horst TV, Felger I, Hetzel MW, Yukich J. Malaria infection prevalence and sensitivity of reactive case detection in Zanzibar. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 97:337-346. [PMID: 32534138 PMCID: PMC8450816 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reactive case detection (RCD) is a commonly used strategy for malaria surveillance and response in elimination settings. Many approaches to RCD assume detectable infections are clustered within and around homes of passively detected cases (index households), which has been evaluated in a number of settings with disparate results. METHODS Household questionnaires and diagnostic testing were conducted following RCD investigations in Zanzibar, Tanzania, including the index household and up to 9 additional neighboring households. RESULTS Of 12,487 participants tested by malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT), 3·2% of those residing in index households and 0·4% of those residing in non-index households tested positive (OR = 8·4; 95%CI: 5·7, 12·5). Of 6,281 participants tested by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), 8·4% of those residing in index households and 1·3% of those residing in non-index households tested positive (OR = 7·1; 95%CI: 6·1, 10·9). Within households of index cases defined as imported, odds of qPCR-positivity amongst members reporting recent travel were 1·4 times higher than among those without travel history (95%CI: 0·2, 4·4). Amongst non-index households, odds of qPCR-detectable infection were no different between households located within 50 m of the index household as compared with those located farther away (OR = 0·8, 95%CI: 0·5, 1·4). Sensitivity of RDT to detect qPCR-detectable infections was 34% (95%CI: 26·4, 42·3). CONCLUSIONS Malaria prevalence in index households in Zanzibar is much higher than in non-index households, in which prevalence is very low. Travelers represent a high-risk population. Low sensitivity of RDTs due to a high prevalence of low-density infections results in an RCD system missing a large proportion of the parasite reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan Stuck
- Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Bakar S Fakih
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Abdul-Wahid H Al-Mafazy
- Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme, Ministry of Health, Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Natalie E Hofmann
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Aurel Holzschuh
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Grossenbacher
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adam Bennett
- Malaria Elimination Initiative, Global Health Group, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chris Cotter
- Malaria Elimination Initiative, Global Health Group, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Erik Reaves
- U.S. President's Malaria Initiative, Malaria Branch, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Abdullah Ali
- Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme, Ministry of Health, Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Tina van der Horst
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ingrid Felger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Manuel W Hetzel
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joshua Yukich
- Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
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