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Molecular diagnostics for Chagas disease: up to date and novel methodologies
Julio Alonso-Padilla1, Montserrat Gallego1,2, Alejandro G Schijman3
1a Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGLOBAL), Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB) , Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics
|June 6, 2017
Summary
Chagas disease diagnosis relies on molecular detection when serology fails, especially for congenital cases and treatment monitoring. Developing user-friendly tests is crucial for resource-limited regions to improve access to diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Diagnostics
Background:
- Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions globally, primarily in Latin America.
- Current serological diagnostic methods are insufficient in specific clinical situations.
- Molecular detection is vital for early diagnosis of congenital transmission, treatment follow-up, and managing immune suppression reactivation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review available molecular tools for Trypanosoma cruzi DNA detection.
- To highlight quantitative PCR protocols and recent advancements in user-friendly diagnostic methods.
- To address the limitations of current molecular tests in low-resource settings.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on molecular diagnostic tools for Trypanosoma cruzi.
- Focus on quantitative PCR (qPCR) and emerging simple-to-use molecular assays.
- Analysis of the feasibility of these methods in endemic regions.
Main Results:
- Molecular diagnosis is essential for assessing treatment response and detecting acute infections like congenital Chagas disease.
- Existing molecular tests are technically demanding and require specialized laboratories.
- There is a significant gap in diagnostic accessibility in low-resource endemic areas.
Conclusions:
- Molecular diagnostics are indispensable for specific Chagas disease clinical scenarios where serology is inadequate.
- The development and implementation of accessible, user-friendly molecular diagnostic tools are urgently needed.
- Overcoming the diagnostic access gap is critical for effective Chagas disease management in endemic regions.
