Development of a novel, rapid integrated Cryptosporidium parvum detection assay

The aim of this study was to develop a reverse transcription-PCR assay and lateral flow detection protocol for specific identification of Cryptosporidium parvum. The method which we developed is sensitive and specific and has a low limit of detection. In our protocol a solid phase material, the Xtra Bind Capture System, was used for extraction and purification of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) specific for C. parvum. The Xtra Bind Capture System interfaced with pellets concentrated from water samples collected with previously developed filtration devices. The pellets were resuspended in reagent water (final volume, 0.5 ml), and an equal amount of rupture buffer and the Xtra Bind Capture System was added to the resuspended pellet mixture. The dsRNA target sequences in a 0. 5-ml portion were captured by the solid phase material via hybridization. The debris and potential inhibitors were removed by washing the Xtra Bind material several times with buffer. The Xtra Bind material with its bound dsRNA was added directly to an amplification reaction mixture, and the target was amplified without elution from the Xtra Bind material. A PCR was performed in the presence of the Xtra Bind Capture System, which resulted in robust amplification of the target. The detection system which we used was adapted from lateral flow chromatography methods typically used for antigen-antibody reactions. The result was a colored line that was visible if the organism was present. When this method was used, we were able to reproducibly and correctly identify 10 oocysts added to 0.5 ml of reagent water. When the protocol was evaluated with a small set of environmental samples, the level of detection was as low as 1 oocyst/liter. The total time from resuspension of the pellet to detection was about 3 h, which is considerably less than the 5 h required for immunomagnetic separation followed by an indirect immunofluorescence assay and microscopy.