Bharti Ajay R, Patra Kailash P, Chuquiyauri Raul, Kosek Margaret, Gilman Robert H, Llanos-Cuentas Alejandro, Vinetz Joseph M
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007 Sep;77(3):444-6.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of Plasmodium DNA is highly sensitive in diagnosing malaria. The specimen of choice for this assay has been whole blood samples from malaria patients. To retrospectively determine malaria infection rates in populations or cohorts for whom stored serum samples are available, we determined the ability of a nested PCR assay to detect Plasmodium DNA in stored serum samples. The PCR result was positive in 20 of 23 serum samples from patients with microscopy-confirmed malaria and negative in 8 of 8 healthy controls, resulting in a sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 100%. In all positive samples, species were correctly identified by PCR except for one case where a mixed infection was detected. The PCR is able to detect Plasmodium DNA in serum samples frozen up to 2.5 years and has the potential for the retrospective identification of malaria parasitemia in patient cohorts to determine potential interactions of malaria and other diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测疟原虫DNA在疟疾诊断中具有高度敏感性。该检测方法的首选标本一直是疟疾患者的全血样本。为了回顾性确定有可用储存血清样本的人群或队列中的疟疾感染率，我们测定了巢式PCR检测在储存血清样本中检测疟原虫DNA的能力。在显微镜确诊为疟疾的患者的23份血清样本中，有20份PCR结果呈阳性，在8名健康对照者的8份样本中均为阴性，灵敏度为87%，特异性为100%。在所有阳性样本中，除1例检测到混合感染外，通过PCR均能正确鉴定疟原虫种类。PCR能够检测长达2.5年冷冻保存的血清样本中的疟原虫DNA，并且有潜力回顾性鉴定患者队列中的疟疾寄生虫血症，以确定疟疾与其他疾病（如人类免疫缺陷病毒/获得性免疫缺陷综合征）之间的潜在相互作用。
