Using LAMP to Diagnose Leptospirosis in Thailand
Author Information
Author(s): Piengchan Sonthayanon, Wirongrong Chierakul, Wuthiekanun Vanaporn, Janjira Thaipadungpanit, Thareerat Kalambaheti, Siriphan Amornchai, Premjit Smythe, Lee D. Limmathurotsakul, Direk Day, Nicholas P. Peacock, Sharon J. Peacock
Primary Institution: Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Hypothesis
Can loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) effectively diagnose leptospirosis in patients with febrile illness in Thailand?
Conclusion
The rrs LAMP can identify approximately half of patients with leptospirosis at the time of presentation, but its specificity is imperfect.
Supporting Evidence
- The rrs LAMP showed positive results in 58 of 133 cases.
- The diagnostic sensitivity was 43.6% and specificity was 83.5%.
- 84.6% sensitivity was observed in culture-positive patients.
Takeaway
Scientists created a new test to find a sickness called leptospirosis, and it works for about half of the people who have it, but it sometimes gives wrong answers.
Methodology
A case-control study was conducted with 133 patients diagnosed with leptospirosis and 133 controls with other febrile illnesses, using blood samples for LAMP testing.
Potential Biases
Self-medication with antibiotics prior to testing may have led to false-negative results.
Limitations
The diagnostic sensitivity of the LAMP assay was low, and the specificity was also not as high as expected.
Participant Demographics
Median age of cases was 35 years and controls was 42 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI = 35.0–52.5
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website