Abstract
Nowadays, many commercial kits allowing the detection of digestive parasites by DNA amplification methods have been developed, including simplex PCR assays (SimpPCRa) allowing the identification of a single parasite, and multiplex PCR assays (MultPCRa) allowing the identification of several parasites at once. Thus, aimed at improving the diagnosis of intestinal protozoal infections, it is essential to evaluate the performances of these new tools. A total of 174 DNA samples collected between 2007 and 2017 were retrospectively included in this study. Performances of four commercial SimpPCRa (i.e., CerTest-VIASURETM) and three MultPCRa (i.e., CerTest-VIASURETM, FAST-TRACK-Diagnostics-FTD-Stool-ParasiteTM and DIAGENODE-Gastroenteritis/Parasite-panel-ITM) were evaluated for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba spp., and Giardia intestinalis in stool samples compared to our routinely used in-house SimpPCRa. Globally, the SimpPCRa showed better sensitivity/specificity for the detection of G. intestinalis, E. histolytica, E. dispar, and Cryptosporidium spp. (i.e., 96.9/93.6%; 100/100%; 95.5/100%; and 100/99.3%, respectively), compared to the three commercial MultPCRa tested. All in all, we showed that MultPCRa offer an interesting alternative for the detection of protozoans in stool samples depending on the clinical context.
Highlights
Intestinal parasitic diseases (IPDs) are among the most important public health problems worldwide, affecting millions of people in developing countries
PCR assays evaluated in this study (i.e., G. intestinalis, Entamoeba spp., and Cryptosporidium spp.), 58 samples were negative for Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. but positive for other parasites, and 29 samples were negative for parasites (Table 1)
The results of the seven commercial PCR assays for the detection of G. intestinalis, Entamoeba spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. were compared with those obtained with the Dijon
Summary
Intestinal parasitic diseases (IPDs) are among the most important public health problems worldwide, affecting millions of people in developing countries. IPDs are observed in industrial countries, accounting for a significant morbidity and mortality 4.0/). Parasitic diarrheas mainly involve intestinal protozoan parasites, including Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium spp., and Entamoeba histolytica [4,11]. Because of the lack of detection and surveillance of IPDs in developing countries, their clinical impact and their prevalence remain underestimated [4,12]. In this context, rapid and specific diagnosis methods for the detection of intestinal protozoan parasites is needed to (i) adapt treatment and (ii) adjust prevention strategies
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