Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40452013›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2025

Performance of malaria rapid diagnostic test, microscopy, polymerase chain reaction, and histopathology to diagnose malaria among pregnant and parturient women using peripheral, placental, and cord blood, and placental biopsy in Majang Zone of Gambella Region, Southwest Ethiopia.

Aklilu Alemayehu, Ahmed Zeynudin, Joseph Beyene, Delenasaw Yewhalaw

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Article in Malaria journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

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3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Aklilu AlemayehuSchool of Medical Laboratory Science, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. aaakealex59@gmail.com.
Ahmed ZeynudinSchool of Medical Laboratory Science, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Joseph BeyeneDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Delenasaw YewhalawSchool of Medical Laboratory Science, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAccurate, reliable, and timely diagnosis is essential for mitigating malaria in pregnancy (MiP) and its adverse outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of malaria diagnostic tests for detecting Plasmodium infection in peripheral, placental, and cord blood and placental biopsy in the Majang Zone of Gambella Region, Southwest Ethiopia.

methodsA cross-sectional study involving 640 (460 pregnant and 180 parturient) women visiting five public health facilities for antenatal care and delivery services in Majang Zone was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023. Peripheral, placental, and cord blood were collected to detect Plasmodium infection by rapid diagnostic test (RDT), microscopy, and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Placental biopsy was collected for placental malaria (PM) diagnosis by histopathology. Performance indices, Kappa Coefficient, and Receiver Operating Characteristic were determined using Statistical Package for Social Science Version 26.0, Microsoft Excel Version 19.0, and Stata Version 17.0.

resultsOne thousand blood (640 peripheral, 180 placental, and 180 cord) and 180 placental biopsy specimens collected from pregnant and parturient women were analysed in this study. Malaria positivity rate among pregnant and parturient women was 21.1% and 28.9%, respectively. Considering peripheral blood qPCR as a reference, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and agreement of RDT were (63.5%, 93.0%, 0.807, and 0.683), and microscopy were (73.1%, 98.0%, 0.855, and 0.764) to detect Plasmodium infection in combined peripheral blood of pregnant and parturient women, respectively. Considering placental blood qPCR as a reference, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and agreement of RDT were (56.3%, 95.5%, 0.759, and 0.574), microscopy were (81.3%, 97.7%, 0.895, and 0.822), and histopathology (87.5%, 100.0%, 0.892, and 0.911) to detect Plasmodium infection in placental blood of parturient women, respectively. Considering placental histopathology a as reference, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and agreement of RDT were (56.8%, 97.1%, 0.753, and 0.609), microscopy were (68.2%, 98.5%, 0.918, and 0.735), and qPCR (100.0%, 95.7%, 0.978, and 0.911) to detect Plasmodium infection in placental blood of parturient women, respectively.

conclusionDiagnostic performance of RDT and microscopy was sub-optimal to detect Plasmodium infection among pregnant and parturient women. More sensitive diagnostic tests are needed to mitigate MiP.

Indexed as

Diagnostic Tests, RoutineMalariaMicroscopyPlacentaPregnancy Complications, ParasiticAdolescentAdultBiopsyCross-Sectional StudiesEthiopiaFemaleFetal BloodHumansPregnancyRapid Diagnostic TestsReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionDiagnostic test accuracyEthiopiaGambellaHistopathologyKappaMajangMalaria in pregnancyMicroscopyPlacental malariaQPCRRDTReceiver operating characteristicSensitivity

Identifiers

PMID40452013
PMCPMC12128499

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.