Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34516554›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2021

Sensitive and semiquantitative detection of soil-transmitted helminth infection in stool using a recombinase polymerase amplification-based assay.

Jason L Cantera, Heather N White, Matthew S Forrest, Oliver W Stringer, Vicente Y Belizario, Helen L Storey, Eugenio L de Hostos, Tala de Los Santos

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 24% 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Jason L CanteraPATH, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-7665-5458
Heather N WhitePATH, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-9403-4556
Matthew S ForrestTwistDx Limited, Norman Way, Cambridge, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-2141-0303
Oliver W StringerTwistDx Limited, Norman Way, Cambridge, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-9345-5642
Vicente Y BelizarioDepartment of Parasitology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines, Ermita, Manila, Philippines.
Helen L StoreyPATH, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-6263-2749
Eugenio L de HostosPATH, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
Tala de Los SantosPATH, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-4429-0252
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health · USTwistDx (United Kingdom) · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSoil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are parasitic nematodes that inhabit the human intestine. They affect more than 1.5 billion people worldwide, causing physical and cognitive impairment in children. The global strategy to control STH infection includes periodic mass drug administration (MDA) based on the results of diagnostic testing among populations at risk, but the current microscopy method for detecting infection has diminished sensitivity as the intensity of infection decreases. Thus, improved diagnostic tools are needed to support decision-making for STH control programs. METHODOLOGY: We developed a nucleic acid amplification test based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) technology to detect STH in stool. We designed primers and probes for each of the four STH species, optimized the assay, and then verified its performance using clinical stool samples. PRINCIPAL

findingsEach RPA assay was as sensitive as a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in detecting copies of cloned target DNA sequences. The RPA assay amplified the target in DNA extracted from human stool samples that were positive for STH based on the Kato-Katz method, with no cross-reactivity of the non-target genomic DNA. When tested with clinical stool samples from patients with infections of light, moderate, and heavy intensity, the RPA assays demonstrated performance comparable to that of real-time PCR, with better results than Kato-Katz. This new rapid, sensitive and field-deployable method for detecting STH infections can help STH control programs achieve their goals.

conclusionsSemi-quantitation of target by RPA assay is possible and is comparable to real-time PCR. With proper instrumentation, RPA assays can provide robust, semi-quantification of STH DNA targets as an alternative field-deployable indicator to counts of helminth eggs for assessing infection intensity.

Indexed as

DNA, HelminthFecesHelminthiasisHumansNucleic Acid Amplification TechniquesRecombinasesReproducibility of ResultsSensitivity and SpecificitySoilDNA, HelminthRecombinasesSoil

Identifiers

PMID34516554
PMCPMC8459997
OpenAlexW3201560336

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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.