Divulgação, Notícias

External validation of a prototype kit for direct agglutination test for Visceral Leishmaniasis wins the Masters Category in the 2016 Young Researcher Award

The main goal of the research is to develop a prototype kit of the direct agglutination test to diagnose HVL

04/10/2016
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DAT-LPC test is easy to execute and to interpret, with great performance and low cost, allowing an assertive HVL diagnosis

In its third edition, the 2016 Young Researcher Award brought novelties. The works, which previously ran against each other, were split into four categories: undergraduate, masters, doctorate and post-doc. In total, 12 works were awarded, three from each category. During the opening ceremony, the winners received R$1,000.00 (~USD 330) and second and third places received honor mentions.

The winner of the Masters Category, Diana Souza de Oliveira, presented the work External Validation of a prototype kit of direct agglutination test (DAT-LPC) to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis. The research aims to assess the test and prove its potential to diagnose Human Visceral Leishmaniasis (HVL) in public laboratories under different scenarios.

My work is part of a technological development project funded by the Technological and Innovation Development Program for SUS [Unified Health System], whichs main goal is the development of a prototype kit of the direct agglutination test (DAT) to diagnose human visceral leishmaniasis (HVL). Within this context, the prototype called DAT-LPC is being developed and improved for years and has been internally validated. The goal of my work was to perform its external validation in public institutions’ laboratories, explained Diana.

Considering previous studies on DAT, the research group standardized and improved the test using the circulating parasite in Brazil (DAT-LPC). This work assessed the external rigor (sensitivity and specificity) and inter-laboratory reproducibility, to verify its application in HVL diagnostic routine.

According to the winner of the 2016 Young researcher Award, DAT-LPC test is easy to execute and to interpret, with great performance and low cost, allowing an assertive HVL diagnosis. For its features, it is promising for uses in remote locations, decentralizing and easing access to HVL diagnosis. For this study in which we performed the prototypes external validation, we had cooperation from nine researchers (Ana Rabello; Fernanda Alvarenga Cardoso; José Ronaldo Barbosa; Andreza Pain Marcelino; Lilian Fernandes; Denise Duque; Tatiane Dutra; Tayrine Araújo; Edward Oliveira), she said while adding the external validation started in 2014 and, this year the statistical analysis are in the final phase and the results should be published soon.

The study was conducted at the René Rachou Research Center, Ribeirão das Neves City Laboratory, Ezequiel Dias Foundation Parasitic Diseases Service and Eduardo de Menezes Hospital Laboratory.…