title: Sensitivity and specificity of the Leishmania OligoC-TesT and NASBA-oligochromatography for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Kenya.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the OligoC-TesT and nucleic acid sequence-based amplification coupled to oligochromatography (NASBA-OC) for molecular detection of Leishmania in blood from patients with confirmed visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and healthy endemic controls from Kenya.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood specimens of 84 patients with confirmed VL and 98 endemic healthy controls from Baringo district in Kenya were submitted to both assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Leishmania OligoC-TesT showed a sensitivity of 96.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 90-98.8%) and a specificity of 88.8% (95% CI: 81-93.6%), while the sensitivity and specificity of the NASBA-OC were 79.8% (95% CI: 67-87%) and 100% (95% CI: 96.3-100%), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate high sensitivity of the Leishmania OligoC-TesT on blood while the NASBA-OC is a better marker for active disease.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Frank L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Basiye
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mbuchi
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magiri
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kirigi
authors.forename: Stijn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deborggraeve
authors.forename: Gerard J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Schoone
authors.forename: Alfarazdeg A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Sayda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Safi
authors.forename: Enock
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matovu
authors.forename: Monique K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Wasunna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021161:Self-Sustained Sequence Replication / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D016053:RNA, Protozoan