Queensland Institute of Medical Research, University of Queensland, Herston, Australia.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012;6(4):e1601. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001601. Epub 2012 Apr 24.
Diagnostic tools appropriate for undertaking interventions to control helminth infections are key to their success. Many diagnostic tests for helminth infection have unsatisfactory performance characteristics and are not well suited for use in the parasite control programmes that are being increasingly implemented. Although the application of modern laboratory research techniques to improve diagnostics for helminth infection has resulted in some technical advances, uptake has not been uniform. Frequently, pilot or proof of concept studies of promising diagnostic technologies have not been followed by much needed product development, and in many settings diagnosis continues to rely on insensitive and unsatisfactory parasitological or serodiagnostic techniques. In contrast, PCR-based xenomonitoring of arthropod vectors, and use of parasite recombinant proteins as reagents for serodiagnostic tests, have resulted in critical advances in the control of specific helminth parasites. The Disease Reference Group on Helminths Infections (DRG4), established in 2009 by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) was given the mandate to review helminthiases research and identify research priorities and gaps. In this review, the diagnostic technologies relevant to control of helminth infections, either available or in development, are reviewed. Critical gaps are identified and opportunities to improve needed technologies are discussed.
用于进行干预以控制寄生虫感染的诊断工具是成功的关键。许多寄生虫感染的诊断测试的性能特征并不令人满意，也不太适合日益实施的寄生虫控制计划。尽管现代实验室研究技术的应用在一定程度上提高了寄生虫感染的诊断技术，但应用并不广泛。通常，有前途的诊断技术的试点或概念验证研究并没有后续进行急需的产品开发，在许多情况下，诊断仍然依赖于不敏感和不理想的寄生虫学或血清学诊断技术。相比之下，基于 PCR 的节肢动物媒介的 xenomonitoring，以及将寄生虫重组蛋白用作血清学诊断测试的试剂，在特定寄生虫的控制方面取得了重大进展。2009 年，热带病研究与培训特别规划署（TDR）成立了寄生虫感染疾病参考组（DRG4），负责审查寄生虫病研究并确定研究重点和差距。在本次审查中，回顾了可用于或正在开发的控制寄生虫感染的诊断技术。确定了关键差距，并讨论了改进所需技术的机会。
