A Triplex Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction for Simultaneously Diagnosis of Plasmodium, Babesia, and Toxoplasma in Blood to Promote Safety of Blood Transfusion

Diagnosis and remove of blood transmittable infections has a vital importance in blood transfusion. The aim of this study was to concurrently assess the presence of protozoan parasites plasmodium, toxoplasma, and babesia in samples of blood transfusion.

In this experimental study, the development of a triplex nested-Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for extol of blood transfusion process at 2020 in Isfahan City, Iran, was done. After selecting the genus specific primers, at the first step, nested PCRs were set up for each parasite specifically at the genus level using blood samples with a determined number of each parasite, and then multiplex nested PCR was set up.

The nested PCR triple reaction (TN-PCR) has a higher diagnostic validity compared to the microscopic and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were as 100%, 100%, 100%, and 100%, respectively, for detection Plasmodium, 100%, 91%, 92%, and 100%, for Toxoplasma, and 94%, 100%, 100%, and 89% for Babesia. The validity of this test for Plasmodium was the highest compared to the other two parasites.

Based on the results of this study, the TN-PCR method can simultaneously identify one, two or all three dangerous pathogens in biological samples as well as blood samples in the blood transfusion process.