title: Molecular diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis in faecal samples using real-time PCR.
abstract: A real-time PCR method targeting the small subunit of the rRNA gene was developed for the detection of Strongyloides stercoralis DNA in faecal samples, including an internal control to detect inhibition of the amplification process. The assay was performed on a range of well-defined control samples (n=145), known positive faecal samples (n=38) and faecal samples from a region in northern Ghana where S. stercoralis infections are highly endemic (n=212), and achieved 100% specificity and high sensitivity. The use of this assay could facilitate monitoring the prevalence and intensity of S. stercoralis infections during helminth intervention programs. Moreover, the use of this assay in diagnostic laboratories could make the introduction of molecular diagnostics feasible in the routine diagnosis of S. stercoralis infections, with a two-fold increase in the detection rate as compared with the commonly used Baermann sedimentation method.
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Parasitology, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. j.j.verweij@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Jaco J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Verweij
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canales
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polman
authors.forename: Juventus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ziem
authors.forename: Eric A T
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Brienen
authors.forename: Anton M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Polderman
authors.forename: Lisette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Lieshout
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan