# name
Rapid diagnostic tests duo as alternative to conventional
                serological assays for conclusive Chagas disease diagnosis

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It
                affects several million people, mainly in Latin America, and
                severe cardiac and/or digestive complications occur in ~30% of
                the chronically infected patients. Disease acute stage is mostly
                asymptomatic and infection goes undiagnosed. In the chronic
                phase direct parasite detection is hampered due to its concealed
                presence and diagnosis is achieved by serological methods, like
                ELISA or indirect hemagglutination assays. Agreement in at least
                two tests must be obtained due to parasite wide antigenic
                variability. These techniques require equipped labs and trained
                personnel and are not available in distant regions. As a result,
                many infected people often remain undiagnosed until it is too
                late, as the two available chemotherapies show diminished
                efficacy in the advanced chronic stage. Easy-to-use rapid
                diagnostic tests have been developed to be implemented in remote
                areas as an alternative to conventional tests. They do not need
                electricity, nor cold chain, they can return results within an
                hour and some even work with whole blood as sample, like Chagas
                Stat-Pak (ChemBio Inc.) and Chagas Detect Plus (InBIOS Inc.).
                Nonetheless, in order to qualify a rapidly diagnosed positive
                patient for treatment, conventional serological confirmation is
                obligatory, which might risk its start. In this study two rapid
                tests based on distinct antigen sets were used in parallel as a
                way to obtain a fast and conclusive Chagas disease diagnosis
                using whole blood samples. Chagas Stat-Pak and Chagas Detect
                Plus were validated by comparison with three conventional tests
                yielding 100% sensitivity and 99.3% specificity over 342
                patients seeking Chagas disease diagnosis in a reference centre
                in Sucre (Bolivia). Combined used of RDTs in distant regions
                could substitute laborious conventional serology, allowing
                immediate treatment and favouring better adhesion to it.

# metadata.dc.relation.isformatof[].value
Reproducció del document publicat a:
                http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005501

# metadata.dc.relation.ispartof[].value
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2017, vol. 11, num. 4, p.
                e0005501

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (ISGlobal)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Rapid diagnostic tests duo as alternative to conventional
                serological assays for conclusive Chagas disease diagnosis