AcanR3990 qPCR: A Novel, Highly Sensitive, Bioinformatically-Informed Assay to Detect Angiostrongylus cantonensis Infections.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Ac), or the rat lungworm, is a major cause of eosinophilic meningitis. Humans are infected by ingesting the 3rd stage larvae from primary hosts, snails, and slugs, or paratenic hosts. The currently used molecular test is a qPCR assay targeting the ITS1 rDNA region (ITS1) of Ac.

Methods

In silico design of a more sensitive qPCR assay was performed based on tandem repeats predicted to be the most abundant by the RepeatExplorer algorithm. Genomic DNA (gDNA) of Ac were used to determine the analytical sensitivity and specificity of the best primer/probe combination. This assay was then applied to clinical and environmental samples.

Results

The limit of detection of the best performing assay, AcanR3990, was 1 fg (the DNA equivalent o

SUBMITTER: Sears WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8492198 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature