title: Quantification of in vitro and in vivo Cryptosporidium parvum infection by using real-time PCR.
abstract: Established methods for quantifying experimental Cryptosporidium infection are highly variable and subjective. We describe a new technique using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) that can be used to measure in vitro and in vivo laboratory infections with Cryptosporidium. We show for the first time that qPCR permits absolute quantification of the parasite while simultaneously controlling for the amount of host tissue and correlates significantly with established methods of quantification in in vitro and in vivo laboratory models of infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Box 041, 750 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
authors.forename: Nihal T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Godiwala
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vandewalle
authors.forename: Honorine D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Brett A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Leav
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000469:parasitology; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins