Evaluation of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) for Rapid Detection of Campylobacter jejuni

Abstract

In recent years, the worldwide incidence of diarrheal diseases caused by Campylobacter jejuni has been increasing, causing large-scale outbreaks in developing countries, which added to the capacity of the microorganism to cause Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), increasing the need for rapid and timely diagnosis to stop and prevent outbreaks. In this study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay based on the cdtC gene was developed and evaluated for the rapid detection of C. jejuni, using 91 strains for the standardization and validation. The LAMP assay was compared to whole-genome sequencing as the gold standard. The LAMP assay for C. jejuni showed a sensitivity of 100% (CI: 90.94 - 100%), a specificity of 100% (CI: 89.56 - 100%), a positive predictive value of 100% (CI: 90.94 - 100%) and a negative predictive value of 100% (CI: 89.56 - 100%). The assay demonstrated strong agreement between the LAMP assay and genomic sequencing (kappa value = 1). The LAMP assay based on the cdtC gene is a method that provides reliable and rapid results, with high sensitivity and specificity for the identification of C. jejuni, and is considered a suitable alternative for the diagnosis of diarrheal infections by this pathogen in low-income countries.