ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2009
Diagnosing schistosomiasis by detection of cell-free parasite DNA in human plasma.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 96 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
96 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 215 citations in OpenAlex.
- Detecting and identifying Schistosoma infections in snails and aquatic habitats: A systematic review.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Pooled it
- Limited efficacy of repeated praziquantel treatment in Schistosoma mansoni infections as revealed by highly accurate diagnostics, PCR and UCP-LF CAA (RePST trial).PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Trial
- Comparison of real-time PCR and the Kato-Katz method for the diagnosis of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and assessment of cure in a randomized controlled trial.BMC microbiology · 2020Trial
- Schistosoma mansoni treatment reduces HIV entry into cervical CD4+ T cells and induces IFN-I pathways.Nature communications · 2019Trial
- Diagnostic accuracy of plasma cell-free DNA qPCR for Schistosoma haematobium assessed by Bayesian latent class analysis in a cohort of pregnant women from Lambaréné, Gabon.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2026Article
- Matrix-Dependent Sensitivity of Two Pan-Trematode PCR Assays for DetectingInfectious disease reports · 2026Article
- Rapid identification of Biomphalaria spp. and diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infestation using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Comparison of three real-time polymerase chain reaction protocols for the diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis in a non-endemic setting.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- An exploratory study to assess the influence of schistosomiasis on the occurrence of dengue virus in Madagascar.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2025Article
- Detecting Schistosoma infections in endemic countries: a diagnostic accuracy study in rural Madagascar.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2025Article
- Cell-free DNA as a complementary diagnostic tool for neglected tropical diseases towards achieving the WHO NTDs elimination by 2030.The journal of liquid biopsy · 2025Article
- Description of the Serological Response After Treatment of Chronic Imported Schistosomiasis.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2025Article
- Article
- Real-time qPCR coupled with high-resolution melting curve analysis for the detection of the internal transcribed spacer 1 of Angiostrongylus costaricensis.Parasitology research · 2024Article
- Prevalence and associated factors of schistosomiasis among pregnant women in northern Senegal.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Detection of circulatory E. granulosus-derived cell-free DNA in the plasma and urine of human cystic echinococcosis using an in-house PCR: a potential promising diagnostic biomarker.Molecular biology reports · 2024Article
- Next step towards point-of-care molecular diagnosis of female genital schistosomiasis (FGS): evaluation of an instrument-free LAMP procedure.Frontiers in parasitology · 2024Article
- Diagnosis of Human Trematode Infections.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2024Review
- Evaluation of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) in Urine Samples for the Diagnosis of Imported Schistosomiasis.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2023Article
- Metagenomic sequencing for identifying pathogen-specific circulating DNAs and development of diagnostic methods for schistosomiasis.iScience · 2023Article
36 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSchistosomiasis (bilharzia), one of the most relevant parasitoses of humans, is confirmed by microscopic detection of eggs in stool, urine, or organ biopsies. The sensitivity of these procedures is variable due to fluctuation of egg shedding. Serological tests on the other hand do not distinguish between active and past disease. In patients with acute disease (Katayama syndrome), both serology and direct detection may produce false negative results. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a novel diagnostic strategy, following the rationale that Schistosoma DNA may be liberated as a result of parasite turnover and reach the blood. Cell-free parasite DNA (CFPD) was detected in plasma by PCR. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsReal-time PCR with internal control was developed and optimized for detection of CFPD in human plasma. Distribution was studied in a mouse model for Schistosoma replication and elimination, as well as in human patients seen before and after treatment. CFPD was detectable in mouse plasma, and its concentration correlated with the course of anti-Schistosoma treatment. Humans with chronic disease and eggs in stool or urine (n = 14) showed a 100% rate of CFPD detection. CFPD was also detected in all (n = 8) patients with Katayama syndrome. Patients in whom no viable eggs could be detected and who had been treated for schistomiasis in the past (n = 30) showed lower detection rates (33.3%) and significantly lower CFPD concentrations. The duration from treatment to total elimination of CFPD from plasma was projected to exceed one year. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: PCR for detection of CFPD in human plasma may provide a new laboratory tool for diagnosing schistosomiasis in all phases of clinical disease, including the capacity to rule out Katayama syndrome and active disease. Further studies are needed to confirm the clinical usefulness of CFPD quantification in therapy monitoring.
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