Molecular diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in tropical areas: a comparison of conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction with parasitological methods

• Main Authors: Fabiana Martins de Paula, Fernanda de Mello Malta, Priscilla Duarte Marques, Renata Barnabé Sitta, João Renato Rebello Pinho, Ronaldo César Borges Gryschek, Pedro Paulo Chieffi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2015-04-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: Strongyloides stercoralis; molecular diagnosis; conventional PCR; real-time PCR
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762015000200272&lng=en&tlng=en
• ISSN: 1678-8060

This study aimed to evaluate the use of conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the diagnosis of human strongyloidiasis from stool samples in tropical areas. Stool samples were collected from individuals and were determined to be positive for Strongyloides stercoralis (group I), negative for S. stercoralis (group II) and positive for other enteroparasite species (group III). DNA specific to S. stercoralis was found in 76.7% of group I samples by cPCR and in 90% of group I samples by qPCR. The results show that molecular methods can be used as alternative tools for detecting S. stercoralis in human stool samples in tropical areas.