Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand. Electronic address: praphathip.eam@mahidol.ac.th
  • 2 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
  • 3 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand. Electronic address: darawan.wan@mahidol.ac.th
  • 4 Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Int J Infect Dis, 2018 Aug;73:69-71.
PMID: 29908250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2018.06.005

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The serological diagnosis of human infection with Angiostrongylus cantonensis remains problematic because there are no commercially available validated tests. Most laboratories use domestically prepared tests such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or immunoblotting. Since laboratory facilities are not always available in endemic areas, we developed and assessed a rapid lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (AcQuickDx Test) to detect anti-A. cantonensis antibodies in human serum.

METHODS: The test device was assembled with purified 31-kDa glycoprotein as diagnostic antigen and with gold-labelled anti-human immunoglublin-G as the detector reagent. A total of 97 serum samples were tested - 19 samples from clinically diagnosed patients with detectable A. cantonensis-specific antibody in immunoblotting; 43 samples from patients with other parasitic diseases, i.e. gnathostomiasis (n=13), toxocariasis (n=2), trichinellosis (n=2), hookworm infection (n=4), filariasis (n=5), cysticercosis (n=9), paragonimiasis (n=2), opisthorchiasis (n=3), and malaria (n=3); and 35 samples from normal healthy subjects.

RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of AcQuickDx Test to detect anti-A. cantonensis specific antibodies in serologically confirmed angiostrongyliasis cases, were 100%, 98.72%, 95% and 100%, respectively. Positive AcQuickDx was observed in 1 of 4 cases with hookworm infections. No positive AcQuickDx was observed in cases with other parasitic diseases, and the individual healthy subjects.

CONCLUSIONS: AcQuickDx Test is rapid, highly sensitive and specific, and easy to perform without additional equipment or ancillary supplies. It yields results that are interpreted visually, and possesses a long shelf-life at room temperature. Thus, it can be applied as an additional test for clinical diagnostic support of angiostrongyliasis either in conventional laboratories or for remote areas where laboratory infrastructure is not available.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.