Sensitive and Rapid Detection of Giardia lamblia Infection in Pet Dogs using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

• Published in: Korean journal of parasitology 2013-04, Vol.51 (2), p.237-241
• Main Authors: Li, J., South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Peoples Republic of China, Wang, P., South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Peoples Republic of China, Zhang, P., South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Peoples Republic of China, Alsarakibi, M., South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Peoples Republic of China, Li, G., South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Brief Communication; Dog Diseases - diagnosis; Dog Diseases - parasitology; DOGS; Feces - parasitology; GIARDIA DUODENALIS; Giardia lamblia - genetics; Giardia lamblia - isolation & purification; GIARDIA LAMBLIA, LOOP-MEDIATED ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION (LAMP), EF1N? GENE; Giardiasis - diagnosis; Giardiasis - parasitology; Giardiasis - veterinary; Humans; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques - methods; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques - methods; PCR; Pets; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Temperature; Time Factors; Veterinary Medicine - methods
• ISSN: 0023-4001; 1738-0006; 1738-0006
• DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2013.51.2.237

Giardia lamblia is recognized as one of the most prevalent parasites in dogs. The present study aimed to establish a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid and specific detection of G. lamblia from dogs. The fecal samples were collected and prepared for microscopic analysis, and then the genomic DNA was extracted directly from purified cysts. The concentration of DNA samples of G. lamblia were diluted by 10-fold serially ranging from 10-1 to 10-5 ng/ml for LAMP and PCR assays. The LAMP assay allows the amplification to be finished within 60 min under isothermal conditions of 63℃ by employing 6 oligonucleotide primers designed based on G. lamblia elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1α) gene sequence. Our tests showed that the specific amplification products were obtained only with G. lamblia, while no amplification products were detected with DNA of other related protozoans. Sensitivity evaluation indicated that the LAMP assay was sensitive 10 times more than PCR. It is concluded that LAMP is a rapid, highly sensitive and specific DNA amplification technique for detection of G. lamblia, which has implications for effective control and prevention of giardiasis.