title: Rapid, sensitive diagnosis of malaria based on ribosomal RNA.
abstract: A system for the sensitive and accurate diagnosis of all four species of malaria parasite that are pathogenic in man has been developed. It involves hybridisation of oligonucleotides complementary to species-specific regions of the RNA of the parasite small ribosomal subunit followed by autoradiography. The method retains its specificity even under conditions of very low stringency similar to those that will occur in field diagnosis. Direct application of treated blood to nylon is possible and consistently results in the detection of fewer than 10 parasites by autoradiography in an overnight exposure. The target rRNA is stable even in dehydrated cells.
authors.affiliation: Malaria Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: McCutchan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001483:Base Sequence; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000235:genetics*; D010965:Plasmodium malariae / Q000235:genetics; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000235:genetics; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis*; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins