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. 2023 Jun 21;9(7):e17338.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17338. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Detection of male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) by real-time TaqMan® PCR analysis of semen from fishermen along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi

Sekeleghe A Kayuni  1   2   3 , Mohammad H Alharbi  1   4 , Alexandra Shaw  1 , Joanna Fawcett  1 , Peter Makaula  3   5 , Fanuel Lampiao  6 , Lazarus Juziwelo  7 , E James LaCourse  1 , Jaco J Verweij  8 , J Russell Stothard  1
Affiliations

Detection of male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) by real-time TaqMan® PCR analysis of semen from fishermen along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi

Sekeleghe A Kayuni et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Background: Male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) is an underappreciated complication of schistosomiasis, first described in 1911. However, its epidemiology, diagnostic testing and case management are not well understood in sub-Saharan Africa. To shed new light on MGS prevalence in Malawi, a longitudinal cohort study was conducted among adult fishermen along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi using detection of schistosome DNA in participants' semen by real-time TaqMan® PCR analyses.

Methods: Upon recruitment of 376 participants, 210 submitted urine samples and 114 semen samples for parasitological tests. Thereafter, the available semen samples were subsequently analysed by real-time TaqMan® PCR. Praziquantel (PZQ) treatment was provided to all participants with follow-ups attempted at 1, 3, 6 and 12-months' intervals.

Results: At baseline, real-time PCR detected a higher MGS cohort prevalence of 26.6% (n = 64, Ct-value range: 18.9-37.4), compared to 10.4% by semen microscopy. In total, 21.9% of participants (n = 114) were detected with MGS either by semen microscopy and/or by real-time PCR. Subsequent analyses at 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups indicated variable detection dynamics.

Conclusions: This first application of a molecular method, to detect MGS in sub-Saharan Africa, highlights the need for development of such molecular diagnostic tests which should be affordable and locally accessible. Our investigation also notes the persistence of MGS over a calendar year despite praziquantel treatment.

Keywords: Fishermen; Lake Malawi; MGS; Mangochi; Real-time PCR; Schistosoma haematobium.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic map of Study area showing health facilities along Lake Malawi in Mangochi district where the study participants were recruited. (The study map was produced by Dr Sekeleghe Kayuni (4th August 2019)while the maps of Africa and Malawi were reproduced from the maps at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) website, public domain:https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/attachments/locator-maps/MI-locator-map.gifandhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/attachments/maps/MI-map.gif).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Venn diagram showing positive results of the different diagnostic tests at baseline of the study (n = 52).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Baseline Bar graph of proportion of positive participants on urine filtration, semen microscopy and real-time PCR per age group (no statistically significance difference between the age groups).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Follow-up Bar graphs of proportions of positive participants on urine filtration, semen microscopy and real-time PCR per age group (no statistically significance difference between the age groups).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Bar graphs showing study participants who were positive on diagnostic tests at Baseline.
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See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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