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Table 3 Comparison of the efficiency of three DNA preparation methods (phenol, sodium hydroxide and potassium acetate) for detection of Leishmania DNA in dried blood spots

From: Evaluation of PCR procedures for detecting and quantifying Leishmania donovani DNA in large numbers of dried human blood samples from a visceral leishmaniasis focus in Northern Ethiopia

Infection category

Number of samples

DNA preparation method

kDNA/RT-PCR +

ITS1/PCR+

kDNA/ITS1

     

(shared positives)

Low (1–100)

16

Phenol

13

13

10

  

NaOH

12

3

3

  

Potassium acetate

3

0

0

Medium (100–1000)

24

Phenol

23

12

11

  

NaOH

20

6

5

  

Potassium acetate

1

0

0

High (above 1000)

19

Phenol

19

13

13

  

NaOH

13

9

8

  

Potassium acetate

8

6

6

Totals

59

Phenol

55

38

34

  

NaOH

45

18

16

  

Potassium acetate

12

6

6

  1. Results for ITS1 were obtained on gels following standard PCR. Data for kDNA was obtained by qRT-PCR.