[Detection of hepatitis A virus RNA with an improved loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay].

OBJECTIVE

To establish a novel improved loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique to detect hepatitis A virus (HAV).

METHODS

A novel improved LAMP assay based on the addition of an acceleration primer was developed for hepatitis A virus nucleotide acid detection.

RESULTS

Precision and reproducibility analysis proved its high stability and reliability. Comparison between the improved and conventional LAMP assays revealed that the former was more sensitive with a detection limit of 5 TCID50/ml. The novel detection method displayed 100% consistency with the TaqMan real-time PCR assay when applied to clinical specimens collected from patients with confirmed acute HAV infection.

CONCLUSION

This novel technique is widely applicable as a simple diagnostic tool in the clinical field as well as for the surveillance and investigation of the infectious disease in developing countries where HAV is endemic.