Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27007889›Full record

ArticlePloS one2016

Molecular Detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae on Dried Blood Spots from Febrile Nigerian Children Compared to Culture.

Pui-Ying Iroh Tam, Nelmary Hernandez-Alvarado, Mark R Schleiss, Fatimah Hassan-Hanga, Chuma Onuchukwu, Dominic Umoru, Stephen K Obaro

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Pui-Ying Iroh TamDivision of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America.
Nelmary Hernandez-AlvaradoCenter for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Translational Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America.
Mark R SchleissDivision of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America.
Fatimah Hassan-HangaDepartment of Paediatrics, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.
Chuma OnuchukwuDepartment of Paediatrics, Federal Medical Center, Keffi, Nasarawa, Nigeria.
Dominic UmoruDepartment of Paediatrics, Nyanya General Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.
Stephen K ObaroDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
University of Minnesota Children's Hospital · USAminu Kano Teaching Hospital · NGFederal Medical Centre · NGNational Hospital Abuja · NGUniversity of Nebraska Medical Center · US

Funding

Optimized Vaccines Against Congenital Infection and Maternal Reinfection with CMVR01HD079918 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI SCHLEISS, MARK R. · 2015 to 2019
$1.6M
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD079918
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNigeria has one of the highest burdens of pneumococcal disease in the world, but accurate surveillance is lacking. Molecular detection of infectious pathogens in dried blood spots (DBS) is an ideal method for surveillance of infections in resource-limited settings because of its low cost, minimal blood volumes involved, and ease of storage at ambient temperature. Our study aim was to evaluate a Streptococcus pneumoniae real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) assay on DBS from febrile Nigerian children on Whatman 903 and FTA filter papers, compared to the gold standard of culture.

methodsBetween September 2011 to May 2015, blood was collected from children 5 years of age or under who presented to six hospital study sites throughout northern and central Nigeria with febrile illness, and inoculated into blood culture bottles or spotted onto Whatman 903 or FTA filter paper. Culture and rt-PCR were performed on all samples.

resultsA total of 537 DBS specimens from 535 children were included in the study, of which 15 were culture-positive for S. pneumoniae. The rt-PCR assay detected S. pneumoniae in 12 DBS specimens (2.2%). One positive rt-PCR result was identified in a culture-negative specimen from a high-risk subject, and two positive rt-PCR results were negative on repeat testing. Six culture-confirmed cases of S. pneumoniae bacteremia were missed. Compared to culture, the overall sensitivities of Whatman 903 and FTA DBS for detection of S. pneumoniae were 57.1% (95% CI 18.4-90.1%) and 62.5% (95% CI 24.5-91.5%), respectively. Nonspecific amplification was noted in an additional 22 DBS (4.1%). Among these, six were positive for a non-S. pneumoniae pathogen on culture.

conclusionsRt-PCR was able to detect S. pneumoniae from clinical DBS specimens, including from a culture-negative specimen. Our findings show promise of this approach as a surveillance diagnostic, but also raise important cautionary questions. Several DBS specimens were detected as S. pneumoniae by rt-PCR despite growth of a non-S. pneumoniae pathogen on culture. A precise definition of what constitutes a positive result is required to avoid falsely over-identifying specimens.

Indexed as

Bacteriological TechniquesChild, PreschoolDried Blood Spot TestingFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleNigeriaPneumococcal InfectionsReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionSensitivity and SpecificityStreptococcus pneumoniae

Identifiers

PMID27007889
PMCPMC4805257
OpenAlexW2307791107

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.