title: Fluorescence spectral diagnosis of malaria: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is the most common disease transmitted by the bite by an infected female anopheles mosquito and caused by the plasmodium parasite. It is mostly prevalent in subtropical regions receiving abundant rain and supporting copious mosquito breeding. This disease is generally detected by the microscopic examination of blood films or antigen based rapid diagnostic test. Only occasionally the parasite DNA is detected using polymerase chain reaction in certain advanced, expensive laboratories.
  
  
  METHODS
  An innovative spectral detection method based on the fluorescence spectra of a set of blood plasma biomolecules [tyrosine, tryptophan, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)] and red blood cell (RBC)-associated porphyrin is being evolved by our group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The research so far has exhibited sensitivity and specificity values exceeding 90% based on the spectral features of blood components of 14 malaria patients and 20 numbers of age adjusted normal controls. The fluorescent biomolecules go out of proportion when the malarial parasite breaks down the hemoglobin of blood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This technique has the potential to be used as an alternative diagnostic procedure for malaria since the instrumentation involved is portable and inexpensive.
  The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/13000_2014_182.
authors.forename: Vadivel
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Masilamani
authors.forename: Sandhanasamy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Devanesan
authors.forename: Mani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravikumar
authors.forename: Kantharaj
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Perinbam
authors.forename: Mohamad Saleh
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: AlSalhi
authors.forename: Saradh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: Siddanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palled
authors.forename: Kadirampatti Mani
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ganesh
authors.forename: Abbas Habeeb
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Alsaeed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009243:NAD / Q000097:blood; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000097:blood; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011166:Porphyrins; D009243:NAD; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide; D014443:Tyrosine; D014364:Tryptophan