English

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A hospital based study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of PLDH assay (immune chromatographic test) for the diagnosis of malaria, in comparison with the gold standard 'Microscopic examination' in the Department of Paediatrics, Chigateri Hospital and Bapuji child health and research Centre attached to J.J.M. Medical College, Davangere. METHODS: Blood samples from 160 children with clinical suspicion of malaria were tested by PBS study, and PLDH test. The PLDH assay (immune chromatographic test) is a rapid malaria diagnostic test which utilizes a dipstick coated with monoclonal antibodies against the intracellular metabolic enzyme PLDH (Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase). Differentiation of malaria parasite is based on antigenic differences between PLDH isoforms. Results from the PLDH test were compared to those obtained by PBS. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: All the statistical operations were done through SPSS for Windows, Version16. RESULTS: Out of 160 suspected malaria cases, 32 (20%) cases were confirmed positive by PBS (23 Pl. falciparum and 9 Pl. vivax), while 37 (23.1%) cases were detected positive by PLDH test (26 Pl. falciparum and 11 Pl. vivax infections). PLDH test showed sensitivities of 91.3% and 100% and specificities of 96.3% and 98.7%, respectively, and PPV's of 80.8% and 81.8% and NPV's of 98.5% and 100%, respectively, when compared to PBS study for detection of Pl. falciparum and Pl. vivax malaria. CONCLUSION: The PLDH test showed an excellent correlation with the PBS study in the identification of Pl. falciparum and Pl. vivax malaria. Thus, we can conclude that the integration of the PLDH test into the Indian health care infrastructure would provide an important and easy tool for the timely diagnosis of malaria.