A novel PCR assay targeting the ribosomal intergenic spacer provides highly sensitive detection and fingerprinting of Trypanosoma cruzi in both vector and human samples.
May enhance T. cruzi detection in vectors and serum; leaves open clinical validation and diagnostic adoption.
We designed a PCR assay targeted on repeated elements of the ribosomal intergenic spacer which produces highly polymorphic DNA band patterns for different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi. By labeling the PCR products with digoxigenin and by chemiluminescence detection, we improved the assay sensitivity by three orders of magnitude to get T. cruzi strain fingerprints in feces of the trypanosome-infected triatomine bug vector. We also developed a capture assay for the digoxigenin-labeled PCR products that allowed us to detect T. cruzi in triatomine bug vector feces and in human serum samples with a solid support.
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Gonzalez et al. (1994) studied this question.
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