We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




LAMP Accurately Screens for Malaria in Pregnancy

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 23 Jul 2018
Pregnant women are especially susceptible to Plasmodium infections and have the risk of developing severe disease and birth complications. More...
These might include maternal anemia, intra-uterine growth retardation, infant low birth weight, prematurity, miscarriage and stillbirth.

Pregnant women frequently show low-density Plasmodium infections that require more sensitive methods for accurate diagnosis and early treatment of malaria. This is particularly relevant in low-malaria transmission areas, where intermittent preventive treatment is not recommended.

Scientists at the Universidad de Antioquia (Medellín, Colombia) and their international colleagues carried out a nested prospective study that used data and samples from a larger cross-sectional project conducted from May 2016 to January 2017 in three Colombian endemic areas. A total of 531 peripheral and placental samples were collected from pregnant women self-presenting at local hospitals for antenatal care visits, at delivery or seeking medical care for suspected malaria.

Blood samples were analyzed for Plasmodium parasites by light microscopy (LM), rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The team used RDT SD Bioline Malaria antigen Pf/Pv as it can distinguish between P. falciparum, P. vivax and mixed infections. The commercially available Loopamp MALARIA Pan/Pf detection kit consists of reaction tubes with ready-made vacuum-dried reagents for the detection of P. falciparum (Pf-LAMP) or Plasmodium spp. (Pan-LAMP). DNA was extracted from half blood-spot filters and processed for a universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by nested species-specific PCR (nPCR) to detect the 18S ribosomal gene of P. falciparum, P. vivax and P. malariae.

The team reported that in peripheral samples, LAMP showed an improved sensitivity of 100% when compared with LM 79.5% and RDT 76.9%, particularly in afebrile women, for which LAMP sensitivity was, two-times higher than LM and RDT. Overall agreement among LAMP and nPCR was high. In placental blood, LAMP evidenced a four-fold improvement in sensitivity (88.9%) when compared with LM and RDT (22.2%), being the only method, together with nPCR, able to detect placental infections in peripheral blood.

The authors concluded that LAMP is a simple, rapid and accurate molecular tool for detecting gestational and placental malaria, being able to overcome the limited sensitivity of LM and RDT. These findings could guide maternal health programs in low-transmission settings to integrate LAMP in their surveillance systems for the active detection of low-density infections and asymptomatic malaria cases. The study was published on July 13, 2018, in the Malaria Journal.

Related Links:
Universidad de Antioquia


Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
3-Part Differential Hematology Analyzer
Swelab Alfa Plus Sampler
New
Candida Glabrata Test
ELIchrom Glabrata
New
Integrated Biochemical & Immunological System
Biolumi CX8
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: A simple blood test could replace surgical biopsies for early detecion of heart transplant rejection (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients

Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.