Evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection in young women: A cross sectional study in rural South Africa.

Urine microscopy is the standard diagnostic method for urogenital S. haematobium infection. However, this may lead to under-diagnosis of urogenital schistosomiasis, as the disease may present itself with genital symptoms in the absence of ova in the urine. Currently there is no single reliable and a...

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Main Authors: Hashini Nilushika Galappaththi-Arachchige, Sigve Holmen, Artemis Koukounari, Elisabeth Kleppa, Pavitra Pillay, Motshedisi Sebitloane, Patricia Ndhlovu, Lisette van Lieshout, Birgitte Jyding Vennervald, Svein Gunnar Gundersen, Myra Taylor, Eyrun Floerecke Kjetland
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5815575?pdf=render
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author Hashini Nilushika Galappaththi-Arachchige
Sigve Holmen
Artemis Koukounari
Elisabeth Kleppa
Pavitra Pillay
Motshedisi Sebitloane
Patricia Ndhlovu
Lisette van Lieshout
Birgitte Jyding Vennervald
Svein Gunnar Gundersen
Myra Taylor
Eyrun Floerecke Kjetland
author_facet Hashini Nilushika Galappaththi-Arachchige
Sigve Holmen
Artemis Koukounari
Elisabeth Kleppa
Pavitra Pillay
Motshedisi Sebitloane
Patricia Ndhlovu
Lisette van Lieshout
Birgitte Jyding Vennervald
Svein Gunnar Gundersen
Myra Taylor
Eyrun Floerecke Kjetland
author_sort Hashini Nilushika Galappaththi-Arachchige
collection DOAJ
description Urine microscopy is the standard diagnostic method for urogenital S. haematobium infection. However, this may lead to under-diagnosis of urogenital schistosomiasis, as the disease may present itself with genital symptoms in the absence of ova in the urine. Currently there is no single reliable and affordable diagnostic method to diagnose the full spectrum of urogenital S. haematobium infection. In this study we explore the classic indicators in the diagnosis of urogenital S. haematobium infection, with focus on young women.In a cross-sectional study of 1237 sexually active young women in rural South Africa, we assessed four diagnostic indicators of urogenital S. haematobium infection: microscopy of urine, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of cervicovaginal lavage (CVL), urogenital symptoms, and sandy patches detected clinically in combination with computerised image analysis of photocolposcopic images. We estimated the accuracy of these diagnostic indicators through the following analyses: 1) cross tabulation (assumed empirical gold standard) of the tests against the combined findings of sandy patches and/or computerized image analysis and 2) a latent class model of the four indicators without assuming any gold standard.The empirical approach showed that urine microscopy had a sensitivity of 34.7% and specificity of 75.2% while the latent class analysis approach (LCA) suggested a sensitivity of 81.0% and specificity of 85.6%. The empirical approach and LCA showed that Schistosoma PCR in CVL had low sensitivity (14.1% and 52.4%, respectively) and high specificity (93.0% and 98.0, respectively). Using LCA, the presence of sandy patches showed a sensitivity of 81.6 and specificity of 42.4%. The empirical approach and LCA showed that urogenital symptoms had a high sensitivity (89.4% and 100.0%, respectively), whereas specificity was low (10.6% and 12.3%, respectively).All the diagnostic indicators used in the study had limited accuracy. Using urine microscopy or Schistosoma PCR in CVL would only confirm a fraction of the sandy patches found by colposcopic examination.
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spelling doaj.art-0090f00a519d4e51baef7cc4f0f7cc912022-12-21T18:23:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-01132e019145910.1371/journal.pone.0191459Evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection in young women: A cross sectional study in rural South Africa.Hashini Nilushika Galappaththi-ArachchigeSigve HolmenArtemis KoukounariElisabeth KleppaPavitra PillayMotshedisi SebitloanePatricia NdhlovuLisette van LieshoutBirgitte Jyding VennervaldSvein Gunnar GundersenMyra TaylorEyrun Floerecke KjetlandUrine microscopy is the standard diagnostic method for urogenital S. haematobium infection. However, this may lead to under-diagnosis of urogenital schistosomiasis, as the disease may present itself with genital symptoms in the absence of ova in the urine. Currently there is no single reliable and affordable diagnostic method to diagnose the full spectrum of urogenital S. haematobium infection. In this study we explore the classic indicators in the diagnosis of urogenital S. haematobium infection, with focus on young women.In a cross-sectional study of 1237 sexually active young women in rural South Africa, we assessed four diagnostic indicators of urogenital S. haematobium infection: microscopy of urine, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of cervicovaginal lavage (CVL), urogenital symptoms, and sandy patches detected clinically in combination with computerised image analysis of photocolposcopic images. We estimated the accuracy of these diagnostic indicators through the following analyses: 1) cross tabulation (assumed empirical gold standard) of the tests against the combined findings of sandy patches and/or computerized image analysis and 2) a latent class model of the four indicators without assuming any gold standard.The empirical approach showed that urine microscopy had a sensitivity of 34.7% and specificity of 75.2% while the latent class analysis approach (LCA) suggested a sensitivity of 81.0% and specificity of 85.6%. The empirical approach and LCA showed that Schistosoma PCR in CVL had low sensitivity (14.1% and 52.4%, respectively) and high specificity (93.0% and 98.0, respectively). Using LCA, the presence of sandy patches showed a sensitivity of 81.6 and specificity of 42.4%. The empirical approach and LCA showed that urogenital symptoms had a high sensitivity (89.4% and 100.0%, respectively), whereas specificity was low (10.6% and 12.3%, respectively).All the diagnostic indicators used in the study had limited accuracy. Using urine microscopy or Schistosoma PCR in CVL would only confirm a fraction of the sandy patches found by colposcopic examination.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5815575?pdf=render
spellingShingle Hashini Nilushika Galappaththi-Arachchige
Sigve Holmen
Artemis Koukounari
Elisabeth Kleppa
Pavitra Pillay
Motshedisi Sebitloane
Patricia Ndhlovu
Lisette van Lieshout
Birgitte Jyding Vennervald
Svein Gunnar Gundersen
Myra Taylor
Eyrun Floerecke Kjetland
Evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection in young women: A cross sectional study in rural South Africa.
PLoS ONE
title Evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection in young women: A cross sectional study in rural South Africa.
title_full Evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection in young women: A cross sectional study in rural South Africa.
title_fullStr Evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection in young women: A cross sectional study in rural South Africa.
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection in young women: A cross sectional study in rural South Africa.
title_short Evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital Schistosoma haematobium infection in young women: A cross sectional study in rural South Africa.
title_sort evaluating diagnostic indicators of urogenital schistosoma haematobium infection in young women a cross sectional study in rural south africa
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5815575?pdf=render
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