Schistosoma mansoni: a diagnostic approach to detect acute schistosomiasis infection in a murine model by PCR.
Schistosomiasis represents an increasing problem in non-endemic areas, due to the growing number of immigrants and to tourists contracting this disease in "off-the-beaten-track" tourism. Acute schistosomiasis is not diagnosed early due to the lack of diagnostic tools that are sufficiently sensitive enough to detect the parasite during the first weeks of infection. We have developed a diagnostic approach based on the detection of parasite DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in urine, comparing the performance of this new approach with the two currently used schistosomiasis diagnostic tools (Kato-Katz and ELISA) and the PCR in stool samples. This comparison was done in a Schistosoma mansoni murine experimental model, which permits follow up of the parasite from the acute to the chronic stage of infection. Our results suggest that this new PCR-based approach could be useful for the detection of acute schistosomiasis in easy-to-handle clinical samples such the urine.
Laboratorio de Inmunología y Parasitología Molecular, CISET, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
Nidia
N
Sandoval
Mar
M
Siles-Lucas
Julio
J
Lopez Aban
José Luis
JL
Pérez-Arellano
Teresa
T
Gárate
Antonio
A
Muro
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000652:urine*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G