Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis.
Background Cryptococcosis is a devastating opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals, primarily in people living with HIV/AIDS. This study evaluated a protocol for the early diagnosis of meningitis due to C. neoformans, utilizing established molecular techniques from serum and CSF sam...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:479fc22f55974df8bc0017b34c080842 2023-05-15T15:12:44+02:00 Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. Katia Cristina Dantas Roseli Santos de Freitas-Xavier Suzete Cleusa Ferreira Spina Lombardi Alfredo Mendroni Júnior Marcos Vinicius da Silva Paulo Ricardo Criado Vera Lúcia Teixeira de Freitas Terezinha Morato Bastos de Almeida 2023-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011140 https://doaj.org/article/479fc22f55974df8bc0017b34c080842 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011140 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0011140 https://doaj.org/article/479fc22f55974df8bc0017b34c080842 PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 17, Iss 3, p e0011140 (2023) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011140 2023-03-26T01:31:13Z Background Cryptococcosis is a devastating opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals, primarily in people living with HIV/AIDS. This study evaluated a protocol for the early diagnosis of meningitis due to C. neoformans, utilizing established molecular techniques from serum and CSF samples. Methods The 18S and 5.8S (rDNA-ITS) sequence-specific nested PCR assays were compared with direct India ink staining and the latex agglutination test for detection of C. neoformans in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 49 Brazilian suspected meningitis patients. Results were validated with samples obtained from 10 patients negative for cryptococcosis and HIV, and by analysis of standard C. neoformans strains. Principal findings The 5.8S DNA-ITS PCR was more sensitive (89-100%) and specific (100%) than the 18S rDNA PCR and conventional tests (India ink staining and latex agglutination) for identification of C. neoformans. While the 18S PCR exhibited a sensitivity (72%) similar to that of the latex agglutination assay in serum samples, it was superior to the latex agglutination assay when testing CSF, with a sensitivity of 84%. However, the latex agglutination was superior to the 18SrDNA PCR in specificity in CSF (92%). The 5.8S DNA-ITS PCR yielded the highest levels of accuracy (96-100%) of any test for detection (serological and mycological) of C. neoformans in both serum and CSF. Conclusion Use of the nested 5.8S PCR was superior to other techniques for the diagnosis of cryptococcosis. The possibility of using serum, a non-invasively collected material, in a targeted 5.8S PCR analysis to identify Cryptococcus spp. is recommended, especially in immunosuppressed patients. Our results indicate that nested 5.8S PCR can increase the diagnostic capability of cryptococcosis, and we suggest its use to monitor patients in the future. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 17 3 e0011140 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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English |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Katia Cristina Dantas Roseli Santos de Freitas-Xavier Suzete Cleusa Ferreira Spina Lombardi Alfredo Mendroni Júnior Marcos Vinicius da Silva Paulo Ricardo Criado Vera Lúcia Teixeira de Freitas Terezinha Morato Bastos de Almeida Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
description |
Background Cryptococcosis is a devastating opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals, primarily in people living with HIV/AIDS. This study evaluated a protocol for the early diagnosis of meningitis due to C. neoformans, utilizing established molecular techniques from serum and CSF samples. Methods The 18S and 5.8S (rDNA-ITS) sequence-specific nested PCR assays were compared with direct India ink staining and the latex agglutination test for detection of C. neoformans in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 49 Brazilian suspected meningitis patients. Results were validated with samples obtained from 10 patients negative for cryptococcosis and HIV, and by analysis of standard C. neoformans strains. Principal findings The 5.8S DNA-ITS PCR was more sensitive (89-100%) and specific (100%) than the 18S rDNA PCR and conventional tests (India ink staining and latex agglutination) for identification of C. neoformans. While the 18S PCR exhibited a sensitivity (72%) similar to that of the latex agglutination assay in serum samples, it was superior to the latex agglutination assay when testing CSF, with a sensitivity of 84%. However, the latex agglutination was superior to the 18SrDNA PCR in specificity in CSF (92%). The 5.8S DNA-ITS PCR yielded the highest levels of accuracy (96-100%) of any test for detection (serological and mycological) of C. neoformans in both serum and CSF. Conclusion Use of the nested 5.8S PCR was superior to other techniques for the diagnosis of cryptococcosis. The possibility of using serum, a non-invasively collected material, in a targeted 5.8S PCR analysis to identify Cryptococcus spp. is recommended, especially in immunosuppressed patients. Our results indicate that nested 5.8S PCR can increase the diagnostic capability of cryptococcosis, and we suggest its use to monitor patients in the future. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Katia Cristina Dantas Roseli Santos de Freitas-Xavier Suzete Cleusa Ferreira Spina Lombardi Alfredo Mendroni Júnior Marcos Vinicius da Silva Paulo Ricardo Criado Vera Lúcia Teixeira de Freitas Terezinha Morato Bastos de Almeida |
author_facet |
Katia Cristina Dantas Roseli Santos de Freitas-Xavier Suzete Cleusa Ferreira Spina Lombardi Alfredo Mendroni Júnior Marcos Vinicius da Silva Paulo Ricardo Criado Vera Lúcia Teixeira de Freitas Terezinha Morato Bastos de Almeida |
author_sort |
Katia Cristina Dantas |
title |
Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. |
title_short |
Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. |
title_full |
Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. |
title_fullStr |
Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. |
title_sort |
comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011140 https://doaj.org/article/479fc22f55974df8bc0017b34c080842 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 17, Iss 3, p e0011140 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011140 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0011140 https://doaj.org/article/479fc22f55974df8bc0017b34c080842 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011140 |
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PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
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17 |
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3 |
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e0011140 |
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