In this issue of Microbiology Time, we selected three engaging papers spanning from Candida auris molecular detection to non-invasive breast cancer detection and saliva self-collection for malaria detection.
Comparison of Candida Auris PCR detecting methods
The first Dutch study compared the performance of three commercial and two in-house developed real-time PCR assays for detecting Candida auris. The analysis focused on the assays’ sensitivity, specificity, limit of detection, and clinical effectiveness in identifying C. auris colonization.
By testing C. auris strains alongside related yeast species, dermatophytes, and clinical and environmental samples, the researchers discovered that the two laboratory-developed assays exhibited the highest analytical sensitivity, followed by the three commercial ones. No false positives were found in the negative controls of any assay.
The findings highlight the variability in performance among available PCR assays for C. auris detection: these significant differences in sensitivity suggest the need for international reference standards and proficiency panels to ensure consistent and reliable assay performance across laboratories.
Non-Invasive Approaches to Cancer Detection
The second study by Nature Communications, evaluated the effectiveness of DNA methylation profile analysis in non-invasive samples for detecting breast cancer. The researchers analyzed non-tumor DNA methylation in over 1000 samples from cervical, buccal, and blood sources, taken from breast cancer cases and controls.
They found that cervical samples had the highest number of differentially methylated sites, followed by buccal samples, while no significant sites were identified in blood. Using these methylation profiles, the team developed sample-type-specific classifiers, showing that both buccal and cervical DNA methylation changes associated with breast cancer could distinguish cases from controls.
These findings suggest potential applications in non-invasive, personalized approaches to breast cancer prevention, although further validation is needed.
Saliva self-collection and malaria detection in children
With the third study, we move to Ghana, where Self-LolliSponge was used to collect saliva samples from children with malaria to detect the disease’s antigens, specifically PfHRP2 and pLDH, in both blood and saliva. The group of researchers analyzed sample storage for up to seven days at room temperature and 6 °C to assess antigen stability.
The blood-based malaria rapid diagnostic test kit detected PfHRP2 antigens in saliva samples of 46.7% of children with malaria. Among patients with detectable pLDH antigens in their blood samples, the sensitivity of detecting pLDH in saliva reached 94.8%.
Antigen stability analysis showed that PfHRP2 remained detectable for up to three days at 6 °C, but only one day at room temperature. In contrast, pLDH levels declined more rapidly, regardless of storage conditions.
The researchers conclude that saliva-pLDH is a reliable biomarker for diagnosing active or acute malaria in children. In addition, developing saliva-based rapid diagnostic kits could significantly improve antigen detection sensitivity in pediatric patients.
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