scholarly journals Evaluation of RT-qPCR and Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assays for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Argentina

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 659
Author(s):  
María Dolores Fellner ◽  
Romina Bonaventura ◽  
Jorge Basiletti ◽  
Martín Avaro ◽  
Estefanía Benedetti ◽  
...  

Our aim was to evaluate the analytical and clinical performance of the SARS-CoV-2 molecular detection kits used in Argentina. Nine real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and three reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assays were evaluated using the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended test as reference method. A secondary standard calibrated for the E, N and RdRp genes against the Pan American Health Organization—World Health Organization—International Standard was used to calculate the limit of detection (LoD). A panel of artificial clinical samples, 32 positive and 30 negative for SARS-CoV-2, were analyzed to estimate the kappa concordance (κ) and the diagnostic performance. Differences among the LoD values for the target genes amplified by each kit were >1 log copies/reaction. The κ for the RT-qPCR kits was greater than 0.9, whereas that for the RT-LAMP assays ranged from 0.75 to 0.93. The clinical performance of RT-qPCR kits showed 100% specificity and high sensitivity, although with variations according to the gene analyzed. The E and N genes provided greater clinical sensitivity, whereas the RdRp gene increased the clinical specificity. The RT-LAMP assays revealed a variable diagnostic performance. The information provided can be useful to choose the most appropriate diagnostic test and may contribute to the establishment of a consensus in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in Argentina and the region.

Author(s):  
Matthew A Lalli ◽  
Joshua S Langmade ◽  
Xuhua Chen ◽  
Catrina C Fronick ◽  
Christopher S Sawyer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Rapid, reliable, and widespread testing is required to curtail the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Current gold-standard nucleic acid tests are hampered by supply shortages in critical reagents including nasal swabs, RNA extraction kits, personal protective equipment, instrumentation, and labor. Methods To overcome these challenges, we developed a rapid colorimetric assay using reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) optimized on human saliva samples without an RNA purification step. We describe the optimization of saliva pretreatment protocols to enable analytically sensitive viral detection by RT-LAMP. We optimized the RT-LAMP reaction conditions and implemented high-throughput unbiased methods for assay interpretation. We tested whether saliva pretreatment could also enable viral detection by conventional reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Finally, we validated these assays on clinical samples. Results The optimized saliva pretreatment protocol enabled analytically sensitive extraction-free detection of SARS-CoV-2 from saliva by colorimetric RT-LAMP or RT-qPCR. In simulated samples, the optimized RT-LAMP assay had a limit of detection of 59 (95% confidence interval: 44–104) particle copies per reaction. We highlighted the flexibility of LAMP assay implementation using 3 readouts: naked-eye colorimetry, spectrophotometry, and real-time fluorescence. In a set of 30 clinical saliva samples, colorimetric RT-LAMP and RT-qPCR assays performed directly on pretreated saliva samples without RNA extraction had accuracies greater than 90%. Conclusions Rapid and extraction-free detection of SARS-CoV-2 from saliva by colorimetric RT-LAMP is a simple, sensitive, and cost-effective approach with broad potential to expand diagnostic testing for the virus causing COVID-19.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renfei Lu ◽  
Xiuming Wu ◽  
Zhenzhou Wan ◽  
Yingxue Li ◽  
Xia Jin ◽  
...  

COVID-19 has become a major global public health burden, currently causing a rapidly growing number of infections and significant morbidity and mortality around the world. Early detection with fast and sensitive assays and timely intervention are crucial for interrupting the spread of the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2). Using a mismatch-tolerant amplification technique, we developed a simple, rapid, sensitive and visual reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection based on its N gene. The assay has a high specificity and sensitivity, and robust reproducibility, and its results can be monitored using a real-time PCR machine or visualized via colorimetric change from red to yellow. The limit of detection (LOD) of the assay is 118.6 copies of SARS-CoV-2 RNA per 25 μL reaction. The reaction can be completed within 30 min for real-time fluorescence monitoring, or 40 min for visual detection when the template input is more than 200 copies per 25 μL reaction. To evaluate the viability of the assay, a comparison between the RT-LAMP and a commercial RT-qPCR assay was made using 56 clinical samples. The SARS-CoV-2 RT-LAMP assay showed perfect agreement in detection with the RT-qPCR assay. The newly-developed SARS-CoV-2 RT-LAMP assay is a simple and rapid method for COVID-19 surveillance.


Author(s):  
Xu Chen ◽  
Qingxue Zhou ◽  
Shijun Li ◽  
Hao Yan ◽  
Bingcheng Chang ◽  
...  

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that has caused the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) all over the world. In the absence of appropriate antiviral drugs or vaccines, developing a simple, rapid, and reliable assay for SARS-CoV-2 is necessary for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 transmission.MethodsA novel molecular diagnosis technique, named multiplex reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification, that has been linked to a nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor (mRT-LAMP-LFB) was applied to detect SARS-CoV-2 based on the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and N genes, and the mRT-LAMP products were analyzed using nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor. The mRT-LAMP-LFB amplification conditions, including the target RNA concentration, amplification temperature, and time were optimized. The sensitivity and specificity of the mRT-LAMP-LFB method were tested in the current study, and the mRT-LAMP-LFB assay was applied to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus from clinical samples and artificial sputum samples.ResultsThe SARS-CoV-2 specific primers based on the RdRp and N genes were valid for the establishment of mRT-LAMP-LFB assay to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The multiple-RT-LAMP amplification condition was optimized at 63°C for 30 min. The full process, including reaction preparation, viral RNA extraction, RT-LAMP, and product identification, could be achieved in 80 min. The limit of detection (LoD) of the mRT-LAMP-LFB technology was 20 copies per reaction. The specificity of mRT-LAMP-LFB detection was 100%, and no cross-reactions to other respiratory pathogens were observed.ConclusionThe mRT-LAMP-LFB technique developed in the current study is a simple, rapid, and reliable method with great specificity and sensitivity when it comes to identifying SARS-CoV-2 virus for prevention and control of the COVID-19 disease, especially in resource-constrained regions of the world.


Author(s):  
Melis N Anahtar ◽  
Graham EG McGrath ◽  
Brian A Rabe ◽  
Nathan A Tanner ◽  
Benjamin A White ◽  
...  

Amid the enduring COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need for expanded access to rapid and sensitive SARS-CoV-2 testing worldwide. Here we present a simple clinical workflow that uses a sensitive and highly specific colorimetric reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) to detect SARS-CoV-2 and takes forty minutes from sample collection to result. This test requires no specialized equipment and costs a few dollars per sample. Nasopharyngeal samples collected in saline were added either directly (unprocessed) to RT-LAMP reactions or first inactivated by a combined chemical and heat treatment step to inhibit RNases and lyse virions and human cells. The specimens were then amplified with two SARS-CoV-2-specific primer sets and an internal specimen control; the resulting color change was visually interpreted. While direct addition of unprocessed specimens to RT-LAMP reactions could reliably detect samples with abundant SARS-CoV-2, the assay sensitivity markedly increased after the addition of an inactivation step. In 62 clinical samples with a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid concentrations, the assay had 87.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a limit of detection at least 25 copies/μL, making it an ideal test to rule in infection. To increase sensitivity, samples that tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 by direct sample addition could be reflexed to a purification step, to increase the effective per-reaction sample input volume. In 40 purified samples, the assay yielded a 90% sensitivity and 100% specificity, with a limit of detection comparable to commercially available real-time PCR-based diagnostics that have received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA. This test for SARS-CoV-2 can be performed in a range of settings for a fraction of the price of other available tests, with limited equipment, and without relying on over-burdened supply chains to increase overall testing capacity.


10.51511/pr.9 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Muhammad Rizky Wibowo ◽  
Erna Harfiani ◽  
Sarmoko Sarmoko ◽  
Yudhi Nugraha

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has infected the human system resulting in Covid-19, and has spread rapidly worldwide. Therefore, a fast, simple, cost-effective, and accurate detecting tool is required. The standard diagnostic tool of the World Health Organization is the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This method detects the presence of viral genetic material in the human body with accurate results. However, it has several limitations in terms of equipment, personnel, duration, and cost. Therefore, a fast, simple, and sensitive alternative detection, is required, one of which is the reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) that functions under isothermal conditions. This method is battery-driven, hence, easy to move closer to the patient. Conclusively, the RT-LAMP test for SARS CoV-2 diagnosis produces comparable sensitivity to a standard RT-PCR and is more suitable for resource-poor settings, such as rural areas of developing countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna de Oliveira Coelho ◽  
Heloisa Bruna Soligo Sanchuki ◽  
Dalila Luciola Zanette ◽  
Jeanine Marie Nardin ◽  
Hugo Manuel Paz Morales ◽  
...  

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 Reverse Transcription Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) colorimetric detection is a sensitive and specific point-of-care molecular biology technique used to detect the virus in only 30 min. In this manuscript we have described a few nuances of the technique still not properly described in the literature: the presence of three colors clusters; the correlation of the viral load with the color change; and the importance of using an internal control to avoid false-negative results. Methods To achieve these findings, we performed colorimetric RT-LAMP assays of 466 SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR validated clinical samples, with color quantification measured at 434 nm and 560 nm. Results First we determinate a sensitivity of 93.8% and specificity of 90.4%. In addition to the pink (negative) and yellow (positive) produced colors, we report for the first time the presence of an orange color cluster that may lead to wrong diagnosis. We also demonstrated using RT-qPCR and RT-LAMP that low viral loads are related to Ct values > 30, resulting in orange colors. We also demonstrated that the diagnosis of COVID-19 by colorimetric RT-LAMP is efficient until the fifth symptoms day when the viral load is still relatively high. Conclusion This study reports properties and indications for colorimetric RT-LAMP as point-of-care for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic, reducing false results, interpretations and optimizing molecular diagnostics tests application.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Garcia-Venzor ◽  
Bertha Rueda-Zarazua ◽  
Eduardo Marquez-Garcia ◽  
Vilma Maldonado ◽  
Angelica Moncada-Morales ◽  
...  

As to date, more than 49 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) have been reported worldwide. Current diagnostic protocols use qRT-PCR for viral RNA detection, which is expensive and requires sophisticated equipment, trained personnel and previous RNA extraction. For this reason, we need a faster, direct and more versatile detection method for better epidemiological management of the COVID-19 outbreak. In this work, we propose a direct method without RNA extraction, based on the Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR-Cas12) technique that allows the fast detection of SARS-CoV-2 from patient samples with high sensitivity and specificity. We obtained a limit of detection of 16 copies/μL with high specificity and at an affordable cost. The diagnostic test readout can be done with a real-time PCR thermocycler or with the naked eye in a blue-light transilluminator. Our method has been evaluated on a small set of clinical samples with promising results.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Rovira ◽  
Juan Abrahante ◽  
Michael Murtaugh ◽  
Muñoz-Zanzi Claudia

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an important pathogen of swine. The objective of the current study is to investigate the feasibility of using reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) for the detection of PRRSV. The RT-LAMP is a recently described DNA amplification technique reported to be simple, inexpensive, fast, and accurate. The RT-LAMP reaction was set up using 2 sets of primers that were designed to detect North American and European strains of PRRSV and performed successfully in a simple heat block. The specificity of the amplified product was demonstrated by restriction analysis. The RT-LAMP was able to detect 5 different PRRSV isolates. However, the limit of detection ranged between 10 2 and 10 4 50% tissue culture infective dose/ml. The RT-LAMP was further evaluated using serum samples from animals of known infection status. The ability of RT-LAMP to detect PRRSV in serum from acutely infected animals was evaluated with 114 serum samples from 18 experimentally inoculated boars. Forty-nine of these samples tested positive by RT-LAMP, while 94 were positive by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The diagnostic specificity, evaluated with 100 known negative serum samples, was estimated as 99%. The feasibility of RT-LAMP to detect PRRSV was demonstrated in the current study. The RT-LAMP reaction could be performed in just 1 hr with a simple and inexpensive heat block. However, the sensitivity of this technique was significantly lower than that of RT-PCR.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro A. Alves ◽  
Ellen G. de Oliveira ◽  
Ana Paula M. Franco-Luiz ◽  
Letícia T. Almeida ◽  
Amanda B. Gonçalves ◽  
...  

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic unfolded due to the widespread severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission reinforced the urgent need for affordable molecular diagnostic alternative methods for massive testing screening. We present the clinical validation of a pH-dependent colorimetric reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) for SARS-CoV-2 detection. The method revealed a limit of detection of 19.3 ± 2.7 viral genomic copies/μL when using RNA extracted samples obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs collected in guanidine-containing viral transport medium. Typical RT-LAMP reactions were performed at 65°C for 30 min. When compared to reverse transcriptase–quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), up to cycle-threshold (Ct) value 32, RT-LAMP presented 98% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 95.3–99.5%] sensitivity and 100% (95% CI = 94.5–100%) specificity for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection targeting E and N genes. No cross-reactivity was detected when testing other non–SARS-CoV virus, confirming high specificity. The test is compatible with primary RNA extraction–free samples. We also demonstrated that colorimetric RT-LAMP can detect SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants of interest, such as variants occurring in Brazil named gamma (P.1), zeta (P.2), delta (B.1.617.2), B.1.1.374, and B.1.1.371. The method meets point-of-care requirements and can be deployed in the field for high-throughput COVID-19 testing campaigns, especially in countries where COVID-19 testing efforts are far from ideal to tackle the pandemics. Although RT-qPCR is considered the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection, it requires expensive equipment, infrastructure, and highly trained personnel. In contrast, RT-LAMP emerges as an affordable, inexpensive, and simple alternative for SARS-CoV-2 molecular detection that can be applied to massive COVID-19 testing campaigns and save lives.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1135-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yihong Hu ◽  
Zhenzhou Wan ◽  
Yonglin Mu ◽  
Yi Zhou ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
...  

Introduction: Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is a common respiratory virus closely related to respiratory tract infection (RTI). Rapid and accurate detection of hRSV is urgently needed to reduce the high morbidity and mortality due to hRSV infection. Methodology: Here, we established a highly sensitive and specific reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for the rapid detection of A and B group hRSV simultaneously. The specific primer sets for hRSV A and B groups were designed in the M and M2-2 gene, respectively. SYTO 9 was used as the fluorescent dye for real-time monitoring of the amplification of hRSV RNA without cross reaction between hRSV A and B. Results: The limit of detection (LOD) of our new method was 281.17 50% tissue culture infective doses (TCID50)/mL for hRSV A and 1.58 TCID50/mL for hRSV B. Using 90 clinical samples, a comparison to traditional RT-PCR was performed to validate this assay. The positivity rate of RT-LAMP and RT-PCR were 67.8% and 55.6%, respectively, and the positivity rate of RT-LAMP was significantly higher than RT-PCR (χ2 test, P < 0.01). Conclusions: Compared with traditional RT-PCR method, the newly developed fluorescent RT-LAMP combined with well-designed primers and SYTO 9 is quite sensitive, specific, rapid and well applicable to hRSV clinical diagnosis.


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