Detection of Circulatory E. Granulosus-Derived Cell-Free Dna in the Plasma and Urine of Human Cystic Echinococcosis Using an In-House Pcr: A Potential Promising Diagnostic Biomarker Publisher Pubmed



Habibi B^{1, 2} ; Gholami S^{1, 3} ; Bagheri A⁴ ; Fakhar M^{1, 3, 5} ; Torabi M⁶ ; Tabaripour R^{1, 2} ; Moradi A⁷
Source: Molecular Biology Reports Published:2024

Abstract

Background: The diagnostic tool for identifying cystic echinococcosis (CE) patients at an early stage is currently lacking. However, circulatory cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has shown potential as a biomarker for parasitic infections and could be used for diagnosing CE. Research Design and methods: The plasma and urine samples were collected from 39 patients with confirmed CE through imaging and histopathological techniques. All plasma samples were tested for anti-echinococcal antibodies using a commercial ELISA test. Total plasma and urine cfDNA were extracted and an in-house PCR assay was developed to detect E. granulosus specific cfDNA in the samples of CE patients. Results: Out of the 39 patients, 30 tested positive for E. granulosus using serology, with a sensitivity of 76.9%. Moreover, the detection rates for the cfDNA were 79.5% in plasma samples and 58.97% in urine samples using the 80 bp COX1 gene. The plasma-based PCR and serology test showed the highest agreement (Kappa = 0.53). Conclusions: Plasma-based PCR has been found to be a reliable diagnostic tool for identifying CE patients at different cyst stages. It offers validity, speed, and sufficient sensitivity, making it an alternative to serology in diagnosing CE in endemic areas. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024.