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Loop-mediated isothermal amplification-microfluidic chip for the detection of Trichophyton infection
Weiwei Jiang1, Dongying Hu1, Yanyan Xu2
1Department of Dermatology, 72nd Group Army Hospital of PLA, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Abstract:
Trichophyton is the most pathogenic type of fungal skin infection. It often invades and grows in a keratin-rich matrix, and lesions include human skin, hair, and fingernails (toenails). We designed LAMP primers for Trichophyton and developed a LAMP-Microfluidic chip detection system for Trichophyton. This system detects six common species of Trichophyton in the genus Trichophyton, including Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophyte, Trichophyton violaceum, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton verrucosum, and Trichophyton schoenleinii. The specificity reached 100%, and the sensitivity could reach about 1 × 102 copies/μl. The entire detection process can be completed within 60 min and does not cross-react with other dermatophytes. The established LAMP-Microfluidic chip detection system has the advantages of simple operation, high specificity, and high sensitivity, and has the potential for clinical application.
Insights
A new LAMP-Microfluidic chip system rapidly detects six common Trichophyton fungal species causing skin infections. This highly specific and sensitive diagnostic tool offers potential for quick clinical identification of dermatophytosis.
Area of Science:
- Medical Mycology
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Point-of-Care Testing
Background:
- Dermatophytosis, a common fungal skin infection, is primarily caused by species within the *Trichophyton* genus.
- Accurate and rapid identification of *Trichophyton* species is crucial for effective treatment and management of skin, hair, and nail infections.
- Current diagnostic methods can be time-consuming or require specialized laboratory equipment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) based detection system for rapid identification of pathogenic *Trichophyton* species.
- To integrate the LAMP assay with a microfluidic chip for a streamlined and efficient diagnostic platform.
- To assess the specificity, sensitivity, and speed of the developed system for clinical applicability.
Main Methods:
- Design and optimization of LAMP primers targeting conserved regions within the *Trichophyton* genus.
- Development of a microfluidic chip platform for sample processing and LAMP reaction.
- Testing the system with reference strains and clinical isolates of six common *Trichophyton* species (*T. rubrum*, *T. mentagrophyte*, *T. violaceum*, *T. tonsurans*, *T. verrucosum*, *T. schoenleinii*).
- Evaluation of specificity against other dermatophytes and determination of sensitivity limits.
Main Results:
- The LAMP-Microfluidic chip system successfully detected all six target *Trichophyton* species with 100% specificity.
- The assay demonstrated high sensitivity, capable of detecting as low as 1 × 10^2 copies/μl.
- The entire detection process, from sample to result, was completed within 60 minutes.
- No cross-reactivity was observed with other common dermatophyte species, confirming assay specificity.
Conclusions:
- The developed LAMP-Microfluidic chip detection system provides a rapid, highly specific, and sensitive method for identifying common *Trichophyton* species.
- The system's ease of operation and quick turnaround time make it a promising tool for point-of-care diagnostics in clinical settings.
- This technology has the potential to significantly improve the diagnosis and management of dermatophytosis.
