Strategies for Detection of Plasmodium species Gametocytes

Wampfler, Rahel; Mwingira, Felistas; Javati, Sarah; Robinson, Leanne; Betuela, Inoni; Siba, Peter; Beck, Hans-Peter; Mueller, Ivo; Felger, Ingrid

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076316

Cited by 252Malaria Research and ControlBird parasitology and diseasesVector-borne infectious diseases

Strategies for Detection of Plasmodium species Gametocytes

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Wampfler, Rahel, Mwingira, Felistas, Javati, Sarah, Robinson, Leanne, Betuela, Inoni, Siba, Peter, Beck, Hans-Peter, Mueller, Ivo +1 more·2013·PLoS ONE

DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0076316PMC PMC3848260

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Abstract

Carriage and density of gametocytes, the transmission stages of malaria parasites, are determined for predicting the infectiousness of humans to mosquitoes. This measure is used for evaluating interventions that aim at reducing malaria transmission. Gametocytes need to be detected by amplification of stage-specific transcripts, which requires RNA-preserving blood sampling. For simultaneous, highly sensitive quantification of both, blood stages and gametocytes, we have compared and optimized different strategies for field and laboratory procedures in a cross sectional survey in 315 5-9 yr old children from Papua New Guinea. qRT-PCR was performed for gametocyte markers pfs25 and pvs25, Plasmodium species prevalence was determined by targeting both, 18S rRNA genes and transcripts. RNA-based parasite detection resulted in a P. falciparum positivity of 24.1%; of these 40.8% carried gametocytes. P. vivax positivity was 38.4%, with 38.0% of these carrying gametocytes. Sensitivity of DNA-based parasite detection was substantially lower with 14.1% for P. falciparum and 19.6% for P. vivax. Using the lower DNA-based prevalence of asexual stages as a denominator increased the percentage of gametocyte-positive infections to 59.1% for P. falciparum and 52.4% for P. vivax. For studies requiring highly sensitive and simultaneous quantification of sexual and asexual parasite stages, 18S rRNA transcript-based detection saves efforts and costs. RNA-based positivity is considerably higher than other methods. On the other hand, DNA-based parasite quantification is robust and permits comparison with other globally generated molecular prevalence data. Molecular monitoring of low density asexual and sexual parasitaemia will support the evaluation of effects of up-scaled antimalarial intervention programs and can also inform about small scale spatial variability in transmission intensity.

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qPCR was performed using an established methodology with a sensitivity of 1 parasite per microliter.
“qPCR was performed to detect P. falciparum and P. vivax infections in peripheral and placental blood samples using an established methodology with a sensitivity of 1 parasite per microliter [35].”
From Accuracy of an HRP-2/panLDH rapid diagnostic test to detect peripheral and placental Plasmodium falciparum infection in Papua New Guinean women with anaemia or suspected malaria (2015) · cites this paper as [35]

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Authors: Wampfler, R., Mwingira, F., Javati, S., Robinson, L., Betuela, I., Siba, P., Beck, H.-P., Mueller, I., & Felger, I.
Affiliations: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (CH)
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PG)
Corresponding author: Felger, Ingrid
ORCID: Javati, Sarah
Robinson, Leanne
Beck, Hans-Peter
Felger, Ingrid
Venue: PLoS ONE
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published: 2013-09-27
Volume: 8
Issue: 9
Pages: e76316
ISSN: 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076316
PMC: PMC3848260
OpenAlex: W2124312641
Cited by: 252
References: 30
Citations by year: 2026: 11 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 1
FWCI: 15.68
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: gold
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (unspecified)
Locations: PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
edoc (University of Basel) (acceptedVersion)
Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
edoc (University of Basel)
Funders: National Science Foundation
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (134889, 310030)
Medical Research Council
National Health and Medical Research Council (1016443)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U19AI089686)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Malaria Research and Control
Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Bird parasitology and diseases
Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Vector-borne infectious diseases
Keywords: malaria transmission, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Pfs25, Pvs25, gametocyte density, children, Papua New Guinea, transmission intensity
MeSH terms: Child, Child, Preschool, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Life Cycle Stages, Malaria, Papua New Guinea, Plasmodium, RNA, Ribosomal, 18S, Sensitivity and Specificity, Reproducibility of Results, Prevalence, RNA, Protozoan, DNA, Complementary, Genome, Protozoan, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

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Strategies for Detection of Plasmodium species Gametocytes

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