Implementación del método amplificación isotérmica mediada por un lazo (LAMP) para la detección de Toxoplasma gondii en muestras sanguíneas de gatos (Felis catus)

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease, which etiologic agent is a protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite is responsible for one of the most common parasitic infections in humans and warm-blooded animals, being cats the only definitive hosts. Several diagnostic techniques have been used to find T. gondii in all types of samples, with the indirect ELISA methodology and direct PCR being the most reliable but not very affordable by the cost. The erratic behavior of the parasite does not facilitate the possibility of finding positive results throughout the life cycle of the parasite in the organism of the animal, so it can give us false negative results, although the animal has suffered the disease at some point in its life. The present study proposed to implement a LAMP test to detect genetic material of T. gondii in blood samples of cats (Felis catus domesticus) without distinction of race, age or sex, which main characteristic was to maintain direct contact with the outside environment, to have hunting habits and not having access to a sandbox, risk factors that expose the animal to acquire the disease more easily. Total DNA was obtained from 100 samples and the LAMP method was applied; the results showed 1 positive sample to Toxoplama gondii. Then with this result a comparison was made with the study of Seroprevalence of T. gondii in the City of Cuenca using the Indirect Inmunofluorescence technique with 300 blood samples from cats of which 48 were positive samples. Although the two trials differ in methodology, number of samples and do not belong to the same individuals, the positive results agree to be exposed to the same risk factors. The statistical analysis applied with the Difference of proportions test, found that there is a significant difference between both tests, being the most specific the Serodiagnosis. Despite, LAMP has not shown a greater amount of positive results, it can be attributed to the fact that the type of sample (blood) is not the most suitable for the study of Toxoplasmosis.