Detection of Duffy blood group genotypes and submicroscopic Plasmodium infections using molecular diagnostic assays in febrile malaria patients.

Autor: Abagero BR; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.; Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.; Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia., Rama R; Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA., Obeid A; Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA., Tolosa T; Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia., Lukas B; Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia., Teka T; Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia., Tesfaye D; Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia., Lo E; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. el855@drexel.edu.; Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA. el855@drexel.edu., Yewhalaw D; School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. delenasawye@yahoo.com.; Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. delenasawye@yahoo.com.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Malaria journal [Malar J] 2024 Jun 20; Vol. 23 (1), pp. 194. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 20.
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04875-5
Abstrakt: Background: Malaria remains a severe parasitic disease, posing a significant threat to public health and hindering economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopia, a malaria endemic country, is facing a resurgence of the disease with a steadily rising incidence. Conventional diagnostic methods, such as microscopy, have become less effective due to low parasite density, particularly among Duffy-negative human populations in Africa. To develop comprehensive control strategies, it is crucial to generate data on the distribution and clinical occurrence of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum infections in regions where the disease is prevalent. This study assessed Plasmodium infections and Duffy antigen genotypes in febrile patients in Ethiopia.
Methods: Three hundred febrile patients visiting four health facilities in Jimma town of southwestern Ethiopia were randomly selected during the malaria transmission season (Apr-Oct). Sociodemographic information was collected, and microscopic examination was performed for all study participants. Plasmodium species and parasitaemia as well as the Duffy genotype were assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for all samples. Data were analysed using Fisher's exact test and kappa statistics.
Results: The Plasmodium infection rate by qPCR was 16% (48/300) among febrile patients, of which 19 (39.6%) were P. vivax, 25 (52.1%) were P. falciparum, and 4 (8.3%) were mixed (P. vivax and P. falciparum) infections. Among the 48 qPCR-positive samples, 39 (13%) were negative by microscopy. The results of bivariate logistic regression analysis showed that agriculture-related occupation, relapse and recurrence were significantly associated with Plasmodium infection (P < 0.001). Of the 300 febrile patients, 85 (28.3%) were Duffy negative, of whom two had P. vivax, six had P. falciparum, and one had mixed infections. Except for one patient with P. falciparum infection, Plasmodium infections in Duffy-negative individuals were all submicroscopic with low parasitaemia.
Conclusions: The present study revealed a high prevalence of submicroscopic malaria infections. Plasmodium vivax infections in Duffy-negative individuals were not detected due to low parasitaemia. In this study, an improved molecular diagnostic tool was used to detect and characterize Plasmodium infections, with the goal of quantifying P. vivax infection in Duffy-negative individuals. Advanced molecular diagnostic techniques, such as multiplex real-time PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and CRISPR-based diagnostic methods. These techniques offer increased sensitivity, specificity, and the ability to detect low-parasite-density infections compared to the employed methodologies.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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