title: Diagnosis of gestational, congenital, and placental malaria in Colombia: comparison of the efficacy of microscopy, nested polymerase chain reaction, and histopathology.
abstract: The technical capability of different methods to diagnose Plasmodium in maternal peripheral blood, placenta, and umbilical cord blood has not been assessed in Colombia and seldom explored in other malaria-endemic regions. We designed a study to compare the technical and the operational-economical performances of light microscopy (LM), nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR), and histopathology (HP). In maternal blood, LM had 41% sensitivity and 100% specificity and in placental blood, 35% and 100%, respectively, compared with nPCR. In placental tissue, LM had 33% sensitivity and 95% specificity; and nPCR 47% and 77%, respectively; compared with HP. Light microscopy had the best operational-economical qualification. We concluded that nPCR and HP performed better compared with LM, but field implementation of these two techniques remains a problem. Therefore, LM is recommended as the gold standard for diagnosis of gestational malaria and placental blood infection in the field.
authors.affiliation: Grupo Salud y Comunidad, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. ivoncampos@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ivón M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Uribe
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franco-Gallego
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carmona-Fonseca
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maestre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D010920:Placenta / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan