Evaluation and Validation of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay for Detection of Escherichia coli from Blood Samples of Young Infants with Sepsis.

Sepsis in young infants can lead to high mortality and morbidity, and its nonspecific signs require early and on-site detection of infections. The most common cause of infections in early-onset sepsis is Escherichia coli, particularly in premature and low-birth-weight infants. Here, the authors developed a rapid method based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for detecting E. coli in newborn blood samples. The results showed detection of E. coli with a limit of detection (LOD) of 70 CFU/mL, confirming the assay’s reliability in distinguishing positive and negative cases compared to PCR-based detection. This LAMP assay uses 10 µL of blood and takes less than 1 h. A total of 66 blood samples from young infants were used to validate the LAMP assay, which demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity. A rapid and easy LAMP assay was successfully validated with young infants’ blood samples, demonstrating excellent potential for on-site detection of E. coli.