title: The quantitative buffy coat for the diagnosis of trypanosomes.
abstract: The use of quantitative buffy coat (QBC) tubes developed for malaria diagnosis is described in the diagnosis of African trypanosomiasis. One hundred and thirty-four patients with Trypanosoma gambiense were examined using QBC plus either haematocrit (HCT) or mini anion exchange centrifugation (MAEC) or both. QBC was the only method that detected all 134 patients. QBC proved to be the most sensitive diagnostic test for the detection of trypanosomes in blood. It is simple to use, gives fast results and would be a useful test at the district hospital level.
authors.affiliation: Division of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002498:Centrifugation; D004867:Equipment Design; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007474:Ion Exchange; D014347:Trypanosoma brucei gambiense / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014454:Uganda