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. 2004 Feb;42(2):636-8.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.42.2.636-638.2004.

Evaluation of the RealArt Malaria LC real-time PCR assay for malaria diagnosis

Gabriella A Farcas  1 , Kathleen J Y Zhong, Tony Mazzulli, Kevin C Kain
Affiliations

Evaluation of the RealArt Malaria LC real-time PCR assay for malaria diagnosis

Gabriella A Farcas et al. J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Feb.

Abstract

PCR-based methods have advantages over traditional microscopic methods for the diagnosis of malaria, especially in cases of low parasitemia and mixed infections. However, current PCR-based assays are often labor-intensive and not readily quantifiable and have the potential for contamination due to a requirement for postamplification sample handling. Real-time PCR can address these limitations. This study evaluated the performance characteristics of a commercial malaria real-time PCR assay (RealArt Malaria LC Assay; Artus GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) on the LightCycler platform for the detection of malaria parasites in 259 febrile returned travelers. Compared to nested PCR as the reference standard, the real-time assay had a sensitivity of 99.5%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, and negative predictive value of 99.6% for the detection of malaria. Our results indicate that the RealArt assay is a rapid (<45 min), sensitive, and specific method for the detection of malaria in returned travelers.

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