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

Download Mobile App




Lateral Flow RPA Assay Developed for Cryptococcus in CSF

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 06 Mar 2019
The most common presentations of cryptococcosis are meningitis and meningoencephalitis. More...
Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a subacute meningoencephalitis and the most common cause of adult meningitis with very high mortality rates as well as vision and hearing loss in survivors.

Early diagnosis and treatment of cryptococcosis reduces mortality. Lumbar puncture, also known as spinal tap, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) analysis should be performed in patients with suspected CM. The traditional methods for detecting Cryptococcus spp. such as India ink staining and culture are not ideal. Although sensitive and specific enough, detection of cryptococcal antigen polysaccharide has a high dose hook effect.

Scientists at the Southern Medical University Shenzhen Hospital (Shenzhen, China) and their colleagues developed and constructed lateral flow strips combined with recombinase polymerase amplification (LF-RPA) assay to detect the specific DNA sequences of C. neoformans and C. gattii. The detection limit was evaluated using serial dilutions of C. neoformans and C. gattii genomic DNA. The specificity was assessed by excessive amount of other pathogens genomic DNA. The optimal detection time and amplification temperature were also analyzed. The diagnostic parameters were first calculated using 114 clinical specimens and then compared with that of other diagnostic method.

The results of LF-RPA assay and “CrAg Lateral Flow Assay” were compared to that of culture and/or India ink staining. India ink staining and “CrAg Lateral Flow Assay” were performed using the “Cryptococcus neoformans stain kit” and “Cryptococcal Antigen Lateral Flow Assay Kit.”

The team reported that the LF-RPA assay could detect 0.64 pg of genomic DNA of C. neoformans per reaction within 10 minutes and was highly specific for Cryptococcus spp. The system could work well at a wide range of temperature from 25 to 45 °C. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 95.2% and 95.8% respectively. As amplification template for LF-RPA assay, both cell lysates and genomic DNA produce similar experimental results. The detection limit of LF-RPA assay is slightly higher than that of “CrAg Lateral Flow Assay.”

The authors concluded that their LF-RPA system was shown to be a sensitive and specific method for the visible, rapid, and accurate detection of Cryptococcus spp. in cerebral spinal fluid and might be useful for clinical preliminary screening of cryptococcal meningitis. The study was published on January 25, 2019, in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases.

Related Links:
Southern Medical University Shenzhen Hospital


Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
New
Alcohol Testing Device
Dräger Alcotest 7000
New
ESR Analyzer
TEST1 2.0
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








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.