Evaluation of rK39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis.

There is a need for sensitive and specific rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for canine visceral leishmaniasis. The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic performance of immunochromatographic dipstick RDTs using rK39 antigen for canine visceral leishmaniasis by (i) investigating the sensitivi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rupert J Quinnell, Connor Carson, Richard Reithinger, Lourdes M Garcez, Orin Courtenay
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3542187?pdf=render
_version_ 1811192074907680768
author Rupert J Quinnell
Connor Carson
Richard Reithinger
Lourdes M Garcez
Orin Courtenay
author_facet Rupert J Quinnell
Connor Carson
Richard Reithinger
Lourdes M Garcez
Orin Courtenay
author_sort Rupert J Quinnell
collection DOAJ
description There is a need for sensitive and specific rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for canine visceral leishmaniasis. The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic performance of immunochromatographic dipstick RDTs using rK39 antigen for canine visceral leishmaniasis by (i) investigating the sensitivity of RDTs to detect infection, disease and infectiousness in a longitudinal cohort study of natural infection in Brazil, and (ii) using meta-analysis to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of RDTs from published studies.We used a rK39 RDT (Kalazar Detect Canine Rapid Test; Inbios) to test sera collected from 54 sentinel dogs exposed to natural infection in an endemic area of Brazil. Dogs were sampled bimonthly for up to 27 months, and rK39 results compared to those of crude antigen ELISA, PCR, clinical status and infectiousness to sandflies. We then searched MEDLINE and Web of Knowledge (1993-2011) for original studies evaluating the performance of rK39 RDTs in dogs. Meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity was performed using bivariate mixed effects models.The sensitivity of the rK39 RDT in Brazil to detect infection, disease and infectiousness was 46%, 77% and 78% respectively. Sensitivity increased with time since infection, antibody titre, parasite load, clinical score and infectiousness. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The combined sensitivity of rK39 RDTs was 86.7% (95% CI: 76.9-92.8%) to detect clinical disease and 59.3% (37.9-77.6%) to detect infection. Combined specificity was 98.7% (89.5-99.9%). Both sensitivity and specificity varied considerably between studies.The diagnostic performance of rK39 RDTs is reasonable for confirmation of infection in suspected clinical cases, but the sensitivity to detect infected dogs is too low for large-scale epidemiological studies and operational control programmes.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T23:46:52Z
format Article
id doaj.art-932093399861491285026d973bc45974
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T23:46:52Z
publishDate 2013-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj.art-932093399861491285026d973bc459742022-12-22T03:56:37ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352013-01-0171e199210.1371/journal.pntd.0001992Evaluation of rK39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis.Rupert J QuinnellConnor CarsonRichard ReithingerLourdes M GarcezOrin CourtenayThere is a need for sensitive and specific rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for canine visceral leishmaniasis. The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic performance of immunochromatographic dipstick RDTs using rK39 antigen for canine visceral leishmaniasis by (i) investigating the sensitivity of RDTs to detect infection, disease and infectiousness in a longitudinal cohort study of natural infection in Brazil, and (ii) using meta-analysis to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of RDTs from published studies.We used a rK39 RDT (Kalazar Detect Canine Rapid Test; Inbios) to test sera collected from 54 sentinel dogs exposed to natural infection in an endemic area of Brazil. Dogs were sampled bimonthly for up to 27 months, and rK39 results compared to those of crude antigen ELISA, PCR, clinical status and infectiousness to sandflies. We then searched MEDLINE and Web of Knowledge (1993-2011) for original studies evaluating the performance of rK39 RDTs in dogs. Meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity was performed using bivariate mixed effects models.The sensitivity of the rK39 RDT in Brazil to detect infection, disease and infectiousness was 46%, 77% and 78% respectively. Sensitivity increased with time since infection, antibody titre, parasite load, clinical score and infectiousness. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The combined sensitivity of rK39 RDTs was 86.7% (95% CI: 76.9-92.8%) to detect clinical disease and 59.3% (37.9-77.6%) to detect infection. Combined specificity was 98.7% (89.5-99.9%). Both sensitivity and specificity varied considerably between studies.The diagnostic performance of rK39 RDTs is reasonable for confirmation of infection in suspected clinical cases, but the sensitivity to detect infected dogs is too low for large-scale epidemiological studies and operational control programmes.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3542187?pdf=render
spellingShingle Rupert J Quinnell
Connor Carson
Richard Reithinger
Lourdes M Garcez
Orin Courtenay
Evaluation of rK39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Evaluation of rK39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis.
title_full Evaluation of rK39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis.
title_fullStr Evaluation of rK39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis.
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of rK39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis.
title_short Evaluation of rK39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis.
title_sort evaluation of rk39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis longitudinal study and meta analysis
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3542187?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT rupertjquinnell evaluationofrk39rapiddiagnostictestsforcaninevisceralleishmaniasislongitudinalstudyandmetaanalysis
AT connorcarson evaluationofrk39rapiddiagnostictestsforcaninevisceralleishmaniasislongitudinalstudyandmetaanalysis
AT richardreithinger evaluationofrk39rapiddiagnostictestsforcaninevisceralleishmaniasislongitudinalstudyandmetaanalysis
AT lourdesmgarcez evaluationofrk39rapiddiagnostictestsforcaninevisceralleishmaniasislongitudinalstudyandmetaanalysis
AT orincourtenay evaluationofrk39rapiddiagnostictestsforcaninevisceralleishmaniasislongitudinalstudyandmetaanalysis