TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparison between Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction and Sodium Nitrate Flotation Microscopy in Diagnosing Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections
AU - Bartlett, Adam W.
AU - Traub, Rebecca
AU - Amaral, Salvador
AU - Hii, Sze Fui
AU - Clarke, Naomi E.
AU - Matthews, Alexander
AU - Zendejas-Heredia, Patsy A.
AU - Arkell, Paul
AU - Monteiro, Merita Antonia Armindo
AU - da Conceicao, Virginia
AU - da Costa Maia, Carolina
AU - Soares, Maria Imaculada
AU - Prisca Guterres, Josefina D.
AU - Francis, Joshua R.
AU - Vaz Nery, Susana
PY - 2021/11
Y1 - 2021/11
N2 - There is evolving interest in alternate microscopy techniques and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to evaluate soil-transmitted helminth (STH) burden. Using data from a cross-sectional survey of 540 schoolchildren across six primary schools in three municipalities of Timor-Leste, we compared the performance of microscopy using sodium nitrate flotation (SNF) and qPCR in determining STH prevalence and infection intensity. Prevalence by qPCR was higher than SNF for Ascaris lumbricoides (17.5% versus 11.2%), hookworm (8.3% versus 1.2%), and Trichuris trichiura (4.7% versus 1.6%). Agreement between SNF and qPCR was fair for hookworm (κ = 0.21) and moderate for A. lumbricoides (κ = 0.59) and T. trichiura (κ = 0.44). Moderate or heavy intensity infections were identified in 15.9% of infections detected by SNF, whereas qPCR identified 36.1% as moderate or heavy infections using cycle threshold to eggs per gram conversion formulas. Quantitative PCR is a promising diagnostic technique, though further studies validating infection intensity correlates are required.
AB - There is evolving interest in alternate microscopy techniques and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to evaluate soil-transmitted helminth (STH) burden. Using data from a cross-sectional survey of 540 schoolchildren across six primary schools in three municipalities of Timor-Leste, we compared the performance of microscopy using sodium nitrate flotation (SNF) and qPCR in determining STH prevalence and infection intensity. Prevalence by qPCR was higher than SNF for Ascaris lumbricoides (17.5% versus 11.2%), hookworm (8.3% versus 1.2%), and Trichuris trichiura (4.7% versus 1.6%). Agreement between SNF and qPCR was fair for hookworm (κ = 0.21) and moderate for A. lumbricoides (κ = 0.59) and T. trichiura (κ = 0.44). Moderate or heavy intensity infections were identified in 15.9% of infections detected by SNF, whereas qPCR identified 36.1% as moderate or heavy infections using cycle threshold to eggs per gram conversion formulas. Quantitative PCR is a promising diagnostic technique, though further studies validating infection intensity correlates are required.
U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0227
DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0227
M3 - Article
VL - 105
SP - 1210
EP - 1213
JO - The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
JF - The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
SN - 1476-1645
IS - 5
ER -