The use of flow cytometry as a diagnostic test for malaria parasites.

A total of 453 clinical blood samples were determined for malaria parasites by flow cytometric assay (FCM) and reagents from Sysmex Corporation, Japan. In this study, the FCM greatly simplified and accelerated parasite detection, with sensitivity of 91.26%, specificity 86.

Evaluation of the KAT-Quick Malaria Rapid Test for rapid diagnosis of falciparum malaria in Thailand.

In recent years, several rapid diagnostic tests for falciparum malaria have been developed. KAT test results were compared with microscopy on 90 consecutive patients hospitalized at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Bangkok, Thailand. Fifty-one patients had P.

Monitoring of Plasmodium vivax sensitivity to chloroquine in vitro in Thailand.

The sensitivity of Plasmodium vivax to chloroquine in vitro was investigated in patients admitted to the Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand, between September 2001 and May 2002. Of 42 isolates, 34 were successfully tested for parasite sensitivity to chloroquine in vitro; the results showed a significant decrease in sensitivity compared with data published in 1989 and 1995: the IC50 and IC90 were 187.2 and 1217.

Improved antigens for IgG-ELISA diagnosis of strongyloidiasis.

Two preparations of antigens for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis were prepared from an extract of the infective larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis: a crude antigen (CA) and a molecular weight cut-off antigen (MWCOA). Both antigens were analysed by indirect ELISA against the sera of strongyloidiasis (26 cases), other helminthiases (167) and normal controls (30). The larvae were obtained from fecal culture by a modified polyethylene tube technique after screening tests by triple simple smears per case.

Helminth infections are associated with protection from cerebral malaria and increased nitrogen derivatives concentrations in Thailand.

Following a study showing an association between Ascaris and protection from cerebral malaria, we hypothesized helminths may have induced protection through immunoglobulin E (IgE) and the CD23/NO pathway. We compared the prevalence of helminth infections in 67 cerebral malaria patients and 217 hyperparasitemic controls with no complications. For 24 cerebral malaria cases and 56 controls, we compared reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) concentrations and their correlations to total IgE and sCD23 concentrations in helminth-infected and noninfected patients.