Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29976199›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2018

Assessing Plasmodium falciparum transmission in mosquito-feeding assays using quantitative PCR.

Claire Y T Wang, James S McCarthy, Will J Stone, Teun Bousema, Katharine A Collins, Seweryn Bialasiewicz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

15 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Towards an evolutionary baseline model ofbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Using qPCR to compare the detection ofFrontiers in parasitology · 2023
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
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

6 authors.

Claire Y T WangChild Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
James S McCarthyQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
Will J StoneRadboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Teun BousemaRadboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Katharine A CollinsQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia. Katharineacollins@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7080-2215
Seweryn BialasiewiczChild Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Funding

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation OPP1034789Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation OPP1111147National Health and Medical Research Council 1132975National Health and Medical Research Council APP1135955
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEvaluating the efficacy of transmission-blocking interventions relies on mosquito-feeding assays, with transmission typically assessed by microscopic identification of oocysts in mosquito midguts; however, microscopy has limited throughput, sensitivity and specificity. Where low prevalence and intensity mosquito infections occur, as observed during controlled human malaria infection studies or natural transmission, a reliable method for detection and quantification of low-level midgut infection is required. Here, a semi-automated, Taqman quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay sufficiently sensitive to detect a single-oocyst midgut infection is described.

resultsExtraction of genomic DNA from Anopheles stephensi midguts using a semi-automated extraction process was shown to have equivalent extraction efficiency to manual DNA extraction. An 18S Plasmodium falciparum qPCR assay was adapted for quantitative detection of P. falciparum midgut oocyst infection using synthetic DNA standards. The assay was validated for sensitivity and specificity, and the limit of detection was 0.7 genomes/µL (95% CI 0.4-1.6 genomes/µL). All microscopy-confirmed oocyst infected midgut samples were detected by qPCR, including all single-oocyst positive midguts. The genome number per oocyst was assessed 8-9 days after feeding assay using both qPCR and droplet digital PCR and was 3722 (IQR: 2951-5453) and 3490 (IQR: 2720-4182), respectively.

conclusionsThis semi-automated qPCR method enables accurate detection of low-level P. falciparum oocyst infections in mosquito midguts, and may improve the sensitivity, specificity and throughput of assays used to evaluate candidate transmission-blocking interventions.

Indexed as

AnimalsAnophelesBiological AssayGastrointestinal TractMalaria, FalciparumMosquito VectorsOocystsPlasmodium falciparumReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionSensitivity and SpecificityDroplet digital PCRMalariaOocystPCRPlasmodium falciparumqPCRTaqmanTransmissionTransmission-blocking

Identifiers

PMID29976199
PMCPMC6034226

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.