Development and evaluation of rapid novel isothermal amplification assays for important veterinary pathogens:Chlamydia psittaciandChlamydia pecorum

BackgroundChlamydia psittaciandChlamydia pecorumare important veterinary pathogens, with the former also being responsible for zoonoses, and the latter adversely affecting koala populations in Australia and livestock globally. The rapid detection of these organisms is still challenging, particularly at the point-of-care (POC). In the present study, we developed and evaluated rapid, sensitive and robustC. psittaci-specific andC. pecorum-specific Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays for detection of these pathogens.Methods and MaterialsThe LAMP assays, performed in a Genie III real-time fluorometer, targeted a 263 bp region of theC. psittaci-specific Cps_0607 gene or a 209 bp region of aC. pecorum-specific conserved gene CpecG_0573, and were evaluated using a range of samples previously screened using species-specific quantitative PCRs (qPCRs). Species-specificity forC. psittaciandC. pecorumLAMP targets was tested against DNA samples from related chlamydial species and a range of other bacteria. In order to evaluate pathogen detection in clinical samples,C. psittaciLAMP was evaluated using a total of 26 DNA extracts from clinical samples from equine and avian hosts, while forC. pecorumLAMP, we tested a total of 63 DNA extracts from clinical samples from koala, sheep and cattle hosts. A subset of 36C. pecorumsamples was also tested in a thermal cycler (instead of a real-time fluorometer) using newly developed LAMP and results were determined as an end point detection. We also evaluated rapid swab processing (without DNA extraction) to assess the robustness of these assays.ResultsBoth LAMP assays were demonstrated to species-specific, highly reproducible and to be able to detect as little as 10 genome copy number/reaction, with a mean amplification time of 14 and 24 min forC. psittaciandC. pecorum, respectively. When testing clinical samples, the overall congruence between the newly developed LAMP assays and qPCR was 92.3% forC. psittaci(91.7% sensitivity and 92.9% specificity); and 84.1% forC. pecorum(90.6% sensitivity and 77.4% specificity). For a subset of 36C. pecorumsamples tested in a thermal cycler using newly developed LAMP, we observed 34/36 (94.4%) samples result being congruent between LAMP performed in fluorometer and in thermal cycler. Rapid swab processing method evaluated in this study also allows for chlamydial DNA detection using LAMP.DiscussionIn this study, we describe the development of novel, rapid and robustC. psittaci-specific andC. pecorum-specific LAMP assays that are able to detect these bacteria in clinical samples in either the laboratory or POC settings. With further development and a focus on the preparation of these assays at the POC, it is anticipated that both tests may fill an important niche in the repertoire of ancillary diagnostic tools available to clinicians.

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ASarcoptes scabieispecific isothermal amplification assay for detection of this important ectoparasite of wombats and other animals

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.5291 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e5291 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tamieka A. Fraser ◽

Scott Carver ◽

Alynn M. Martin ◽

Kate Mounsey ◽

Adam Polkinghorne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Point Of Care ◽

Lamp Assay ◽

Sarcoptes Scabiei ◽

Isothermal Amplification ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Specific Pcr ◽

Animal Populations ◽

Thermal Cycler ◽

Low Sensitivity ◽

Species Specific

BackgroundThe globally distributed epidermal ectoparasite,Sarcoptes scabiei,is a serious health and welfare burden to at-risk human and animal populations. Rapid and sensitive detection ofS. scabieiinfestation is critical for intervention strategies. While direct microscopy of skin scrapings is a widely utilised diagnostic method, it has low sensitivity. PCR, alternatively, has been shown to readily detect mite DNA even in microscopy-negative skin scrapings. However, a limitation to the latter method is the requirements for specialised equipment and reagents. Such resources may not be readily available in regional or remote clinical settings and are an important consideration in diagnosis of this parasitic disease.MethodologyA Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay targeting the ITS-2 gene forS. scabieiwas developed and evaluated on clinical samples from various hosts, previously screened with conventionalS. scabies-specific PCR. Species specificity of the newly developed LAMP assay was tested against a range of DNA samples from other arthropods. The LAMP assays were performed on a real-time fluorometer as well as thermal cycler to evaluate an end-point of detection. Using skin scrapings, a rapid sample processing method was assessed to eliminate extensive processing times involved with DNA extractions prior to diagnostic assays, including LAMP.ResultsTheS. scabieiLAMP assay was demonstrated to be species-specific and able to detect DNA extracted from a single mite within a skin scraping in under 30 minutes. Application of this assay to DNA extracts from skin scrapings taken from a range of hosts revealed 92.3% congruence (with 92.50% specificity and 100% sensitivity) to the conventional PCR detection ofS. scabiei. Preliminary results have indicated that diagnostic outcome from rapidly processed dry skin scrapings using our newly developed LAMP is possible in approximately 40 minutes.DiscussionWe have developed a novel, rapid and robust molecular assay for detectingS. scabieiinfesting humans and animals. Based on these findings, we anticipate that this assay will serve an important role as an ancillary diagnostic tool at the point-of-care, complementing existing diagnostic protocols forS. scabiei.

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Real-time fluorometric and end-point colorimetric isothermal assays for detection of equine pathogens C. psittaci and equine herpes virus 1: validation, comparison and application at the point of care

BMC Veterinary Research ◽

10.1186/s12917-021-02986-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Martina Jelocnik ◽

Sharon Nyari ◽

Susan Anstey ◽

Nicole Playford ◽

Tamieka A. Fraser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Real World ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Isothermal Amplification ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Analytical Sensitivity ◽

Equine Herpesvirus 1 ◽

Diagnostic Assays ◽

End Point ◽

Point Detection

Abstract Background C. psittaci has recently emerged as an equine abortigenic pathogen causing significant losses to the Australian Thoroughbred industry, while Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a well-recognized abortigenic agent. Diagnosis of these agents is based on molecular assays in diagnostic laboratories. In this study, we validated C. psittaci and newly developed EHV-1 Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays performed in a real-time fluorometer (rtLAMP) against the reference diagnostic assays. We also evaluated isothermal amplification using commercially available colorimetric mix (cLAMP), and SYBR Green DNA binding dye (sgLAMP) for “naked eye” end-point detection when testing ‘real-world’ clinical samples. Finally, we applied the C. psittaci LAMP assays in two pilot Point-of-Care (POC) studies in an equine hospital. Results The analytical sensitivity of C. psittaci and EHV-1 rt-, and colorimetric LAMPs was determined as one and 10 genome equivalents per reaction, respectively. Compared to reference diagnostic qPCR assays, the C. psittaci rtLAMP showed sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 97.5, and 98.86% agreement, while EHV-1 rtLAMP showed 86.96% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 91.43% agreement. When testing rapidly processed clinical samples, all three C. psittaci rt-, c-, sg-LAMP assays were highly congruent with each other, with Kappa values of 0. 906 for sgLAMP and 0. 821 for cLAMP when compared to rtLAMP. EHV-1 testing also revealed high congruence between the assays, with Kappa values of 0.784 for cLAMP and 0.638 for sgLAMP when compared to rtLAMP. The congruence between LAMP assays and the C. psittaci or EHV-1 qPCR assays was high, with agreements ranging from 94.12 to 100% for C. psittaci, and 88.24 to 94.12% for EHV-1, respectively. At the POC, the C. psittaci rt- and c-LAMP assays using rapidly processed swabs were performed by technicians with no prior molecular experience, and the overall congruence between the POC C. psittaci LAMPs and the qPCR assays ranged between 90.91–100%. Conclusions This study describes reliable POC options for the detection of the equine pathogens: C. psittaci and EHV-1. Testing ‘real-world’ samples in equine clinical setting, represents a proof-of-concept that POC isothermal diagnostics can be applied to rapid disease screening in the equine industry.

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Essential properties and pitfalls of colorimetric Reverse Transcription Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification as a point-of-care test for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis

Molecular Medicine ◽

10.1186/s10020-021-00289-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bruna de Oliveira Coelho ◽

Heloisa Bruna Soligo Sanchuki ◽

Dalila Luciola Zanette ◽

Jeanine Marie Nardin ◽

Hugo Manuel Paz Morales ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Viral Load ◽

Internal Control ◽

Reverse Transcription ◽

Color Change ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Colorimetric Detection ◽

False Negative ◽

Isothermal Amplification ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification

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.

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Evaluation of mobile real-time polymerase chain reaction tests for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-88625-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chukwunonso Onyilagha ◽

Henna Mistry ◽

Peter Marszal ◽

Mathieu Pinette ◽

Darwyn Kobasa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Real Time ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

Turnaround Time ◽

Cross Reactivity ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Diarrhea Virus ◽

Highly Sensitive ◽

Transmissible Gastroenteritis

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), calls for prompt and accurate diagnosis and rapid turnaround time for test results to limit transmission. Here, we evaluated two independent molecular assays, the Biomeme SARS-CoV-2 test, and the Precision Biomonitoring TripleLock SARS-CoV-2 test on a field-deployable point-of-care real-time PCR instrument, Franklin three9, in combination with Biomeme M1 Sample Prep Cartridge Kit for RNA 2.0 (M1) manual extraction system for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of SARS-COV-2 in cell culture, human, and animal clinical samples. The Biomeme SARS-CoV-2 assay, which simultaneously detects two viral targets, the orf1ab and S genes, and the Precision Biomonitoring TripleLock SARS-CoV-2 assay that targets the 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) and the envelope (E) gene of SARS-CoV-2 were highly sensitive and detected as low as 15 SARS-CoV-2 genome copies per reaction. In addition, the two assays were specific and showed no cross-reactivity with Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) virus, and other common human respiratory viruses and bacterial pathogens. Also, both assays were highly reproducible across different operators and instruments. When used to test animal samples, both assays equally detected SARS-CoV-2 genetic materials in the swabs from SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters. The M1 lysis buffer completely inactivated SARS-CoV-2 within 10 min at room temperature enabling safe handling of clinical samples. Collectively, these results show that the Biomeme and Precision Biomonitoring TripleLock SARS-CoV-2 mobile testing platforms could reliably and promptly detect SARS-CoV-2 in both human and animal clinical samples in approximately an hour and can be used in remote areas or health care settings not traditionally serviced by a microbiology laboratory.

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Recent Developments towards Portable Point-of-Care Diagnostic Devices for Pathogen Detection

Sensors & Diagnostics ◽

10.1039/d1sd00017a ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Sharmili Roy ◽

FAREEHA ARSHAD ◽

Shimaa Eissa ◽

Mohammadali Safavieh ◽

Sanaa G. Alattas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Global Health ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Pathogen Detection ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Recent Developments

The rapid development of accurate and quick diagnostic tools for infectious diseases has made a massive impact in global health. POC devices for pathogen detection have primarily contributed to clinical...

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Development of a Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique for specific and early detection of Mycobacterium leprae in clinical samples

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-89304-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nupur Garg ◽

Upasana Sahu ◽

Sudeshna Kar ◽

Farhan J. Ahmad

Keyword(s):

Early Detection ◽

Mycobacterium Leprae ◽

Negative Control ◽

Rapid Diagnosis ◽

Isothermal Amplification ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification

AbstractLeprosy, a progressive, mutilating and highly stigmatized disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae (ML), continues to prevail in the developing world. This is due to the absence of rapid, specific and sensitive diagnostic tools for its early detection since the disease gets notified only with the advent of physical scarring in patients. This study reports the development of a Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique for fast, sensitive and specific amplification of 16S rRNA gene of ML DNA for early detection of leprosy in resource-limited areas. Various parameters were optimized to obtain robust and reliable amplification of ML DNA. Blind clinical validation studies were performed which showed that this technique had complete concurrence with conventional techniques. Total absence of amplification of negative control DNA confirmed the specificity of this test. Various visual detection methods viz. colorimetric, turbidity differentiation and bridge flocculation were standardized to establish easy-to-read and rapid diagnosis. This technique eliminates the lack of accuracy and sensitivity in skin smear tests in patients and the requirement for expensive lab equipments and trained technicians. The technique holds promise for further expansion and has the potential to cater to the unmet needs of society for a cheap, highly-sensitive and robust rapid diagnosis of ML.

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