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Molecular diagnosis of parasites

Experientia volume 47, pages 142–145 (1991)Cite this article

Summary

New developments in molecular biology have generated exciting possibilities for improved diagnosis of parasitic diseases. Through gene clonign and expression and peptide synthesis, defined parasite antigens can be produced in vitro for use in serodiagnosis, while nuclear hybridization techniques offer a vastly improved approach to identification of parasites in the tissue specimens of infected hosts as a means of diagnosis. Furthermore, the advent of the polymerase chain reaction technique has made it possible to increase the sensitivity of nuclear hybridization techniques, through amplification of target DNA sequences of the parasites in test material, by in situ synthesis of these sequences prior to hybridization with the diagnostic probe. Finally, through the use of monoclonal antibody technology, it is possible to design highly specific and sensitive serological assays, as well as assays for parasite antigen detection in tissue fluids and in the excreta of infected hosts, as a means of diagnosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD), P.O. Box 30 709, Nairobi, Kenya

    V. M. Nantulya

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  1. V. M. Nantulya
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Nantulya, V.M. Molecular diagnosis of parasites. Experientia 47, 142–145 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01945414

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01945414

Key words

  • Parasites
  • DNA
  • oligonucleotides
  • probes
  • monoclonal antibodies
  • diagnosis

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