ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2023
Dried Blood Spots (DBS): A suitable alternative to using whole blood samples for diagnostic testing of visceral leishmaniasis in the post-elimination era.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Application of ddPCR for diagnosis and treatment monitoring of visceral leishmaniasis patients: addition of an ultrasensitive tool to the diagnostic arsenal.Microbiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Feasibility and acceptability of task sharing collection of HIV viral load dried blood spot samples with community lay cadres: A cross-sectional diagnostic validation study in Zimbabwe.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Neglected parasitic diseases from a one-health perspective: American trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis in dogs and humans in the Bolivian Chaco.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- The Use of Dried Matrix Spots as an Alternative Sampling Technique for Monitoring Neglected Tropical Diseases.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSerum or whole blood collection, processing, transport and storage still present significant challenges in low resource settings where mass surveillance is required to sustain disease elimination. Therefore, in this study, we explored the diagnostic efficacy of dried blood spots (DBS) as a minimally invasive and potentially cost-effective alternative sampling technique to whole blood sampling procedures for subsequent detection of Leishmania donovani antibodies or DNA. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL
findingsArchived serum, DNA samples from whole blood of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases and healthy controls, and DBS from corresponding cases and controls, were used. Both molecular and serological assays were optimized to detect L. donovani antibodies or DNA in DBS elute and results were compared against those obtained with whole blood. Serological assays (both rK28 ELISA and rK39 ELISA) of DBS samples showed sensitivity and specificity of 100% and had excellent agreement with results from whole blood samples (kappa value ranged from 0.98-1). Bland-Altman analysis of OD values from rK28-ELISA with DBS elute and patients' serum showed an excellent agreement (ICC = 0.9) whereas a good agreement (ICC = 0.8) was observed in the case of rK39-ELISA. However, qPCR and RPA of DBS samples had a diminished sensitivity of 76% and 68%, respectively, and poor agreement was observed with the whole blood samples.
conclusionOur results demonstrate that DBS offer excellent diagnostic efficiency for serological assays and represent a viable alternative to whole blood sampling procedures.
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