%0 Journal Article
%T Performance of a RT-PCR for the Diagnostic of Loiasis in an Endemic Area in Gabon
%A Elsa-Rush Eyang-Assengone
%A Coralie L&#8217
%A Ollivier
%A Abdourahim Abdillah
%A Roland Dieki
%A Patrice Makouloutou-Nzassi
%A Jean Paul Akue
%A Jean-Bernard Lekana-Douki
%A St&#233
%A phane Ranque
%J Open Journal of Medical Microbiology
%P 77-86
%@ 2165-3380
%D 2025
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ojmm.2025.152006
%X <i>Loa loa</i> infection is a growing public health issue in the endemic area where two-thirds of infected individuals have no detectable circulating microfilar&#230;mia. Conventional microscopic-based diagnosis on the visualisation of the filarial worm is limited. Molecular tests are known to be sensitive, precise and fast. Here we evaluated the performance of a Real Time PCR assay for the diagnostic of <i>Loa loa</i> infection in blood sample from an endemic area of Gabon. Blood samples were analyzed by microscopy. Proven loiasis was defined by a positive conventional parasitological assay and subconjunctival migration of an adult worm. DNA from blood samples was extracted and tested by RT-PCR targeting the gene coding the <i>Loa loa</i>-15 kDa polyprotein antigen. Microscopic analyses identified 25/545 (4.59%) microfilaremic individuals. Thirty (30/545) samples were RT-PCR positive. According to the classification of infection cases, 26 individuals were positive for proven loiase and 4 individuals for non-loiasis; the test showed a sensitivity of 15.90% (95% CI [12.6 - 17.75]) and a specificity of 99.0% (95% CI [97.6 - 99.7]) for the diagnosis of proven loiase. The evaluated RT-PCR targeting the 15 kDa gene protein detected all microfilaremic cases but only a few amicrofilaremic ones. It is specific to <i>Loa loa</i> infection and might be used for the screening of at-risk populations in epidemiological and/or pretreatment surveys.
%K Loiasis
%K Specificity
%K Microscopy
%K Antigen
%K Sensibility
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=143216