Korean J Lab Med.  2006 Aug;26(4):241-245. 10.3343/kjlm.2006.26.4.241.

Diagnostic Usefulness of SD Malaria Antigen and Antibody Kits for Differential Diagnosis of vivax Malaria in Patients with Fever of Unknown Origin

• Park TS
• Kim JH
• Kang CI
• Lee BH
• Jeon BR
• Lee SM
• Chang CL
• Lee EY
• Son HC
• Kim HH

• KMID: 2238829
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/kjlm.2006.26.4.241

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Examination of peripheral blood smear (PBS) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of malaria; however, its diagnostic utility will be dependent on the examiner's microscopic experience, the quality of the smear, and the degree of parasitemia. Therefore, it is essential to have available a rapid and simple test that is as sensitive and specific as PBS, at a small-middle range medical center, a health care center, and a military hospital in a malaria endemic area.
METHODS
Malaria antigen and antibody tests were performed on 120 febrile patients who were requested for complete blood count (CBC) and PBS at two military hospitals from May 2004 to August 2005.
RESULTS
Of the 45 patients who were diagnosed with malaria by examination of peripheral blood smears, 42 were positive on both malaria antigen and antibody tests, and 2 were positive on either antigen or antibody test. Only 1 patient was negative on the both test. Furthermore, all 75 patients with negative microscopic examinations also had negative malaria antigen and antibody tests.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study show that a rapid differential diagnosis of malaria can be made by performing malaria antigen and antibody tests on febrile patients at hospitals in malaria endemic areas. Moreover, the test is simple and convenient enough to be performed without any special equipment or experience.

Keyword

Peripheral blood smear; Malaria antigen test; Malaria antibody test

MeSH Terms

Blood Cell Count
Delivery of Health Care
Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential*
Fever of Unknown Origin*
Fever*
Hospitals, Military
Humans
Malaria*
Malaria, Vivax*
Parasitemia

Reference

References

1. Kakkilaya BS. Rapid diagnosis of malaria. Lab Med. 2003; 34:602–8.

2. Laserson KF, Petralanda I, Hamlin DM, Almera R, Fuentes M, Carrasquel A, et al. Use of the polymerase chain reaction to directly detect malaria parasites in blood samples from the Venezuelan Amazon. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1994; 50:169–80.

3. Cho D, Lim CS, Kim DL, Ryang DW. Diagnosis and treatment monitoring of Plasmodium vivax malaria using the OptiMAL test in South Korean Soldiers. Korean J Clin Pathol. 2001; 21:235–9.

4. Park JW. Status of vivax malaria in the Republic of Korea. J Korean Med Assoc. 2004; 47:521–6.

5. Hasegawa Y. Malaria in Korea. J Chosen Med Soc. 1913; 4:53–69.

6. Hale TR, Halpenny GW. Malaria and Korean veterans. Canad Med Assoc J. 1953; 68:444–8.

7. Hankey DD, Jones R Jr, Coatney GR, Alving AS, Coker WG, Garrison PL, et al. Korean vivax malaria I. Natural history and response to chloroquine. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1953; 2:958–69.

8. Feighner BH, Pak SI, Novakoski WL, Kelsey LL, Strickman D. Reemergence of Plasmodium vivax malaria in the Republic of Korea. Emerg Infect Dis. 1998; 4:295–7.

9. Chai IH, Lim GI, Yoon SN, Oh WI, Kim SJ, Chai JI. Occurrence of tertian malaria in a male patient who has never been abroad. Korean J Parasitol. 1994; 32:195–200.

10. Oh M, Shin H, Shin D, Kim U, Lee S, Kim N, et al. Clinical features of vivax malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2001; 65:143–6.

11. Warrell DA, Gilles HM. Essential malariology. 4th ed.London: Arnold;2002. p. 1–58.

12. Kim J, Lim J, Kim M, Lee S, Kim Y, Han K, et al. Evaluation of parasite lactate dehydrogenase-based immunochromatographic antigen assay (DiaMed OptiMAL^R) for rapid diagnosis of malaria. Korean J Clin Pathol. 2001; 21:304–9.

13. Chung JY, Kim MY, Lim KJ, Sohn MJ, Kho WG. Evaluation of LG malaria anti-Pv™ for diagnosis of Plasmodium vivax malaria in the Republic of Korea. Korean J Clin Pathol. 2001; 21:67–71.

14. Sun YK, Kim YA, Lim HS. Evaluation of point-of-care kit for diagnosis of malaria in Korea. Korean J Clin Pathol. 2001; 21:204–9.

15. Lim CS, Kim YK, Lee KN, Lee HW, Lee WJ, Lee JS, et al. Malaria detection rate of donated blood and blood sample in risky area. Korean J Blood Transfusion. 1997; 8:291–9.

16. Lee JS, Lee WJ, Lee HW, Cho SH, Kim NY, In TS, et al. The distribution of antibody against malaria in endemic areas. Report National Institute of Health. 1999; 36:145–9.