Diagnostic performance of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification test for the diagnosis of human and cat sporotrichosis in two highly endemic areas in Brazil: insights from a real-world, field-based evaluation.
6 affiliations
- 1Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. [email protected].
- 2Faculdade de Medicina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Laboratório de Micologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, RS, Rio Grande, Brazil.
- 3Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
- 4Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- 5Vice-Direção de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
- 6Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatologia Infecciosa, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Abstract
Sporotrichosis is a subacute to chronic mycosis of major public health relevance in endemic regions, affecting both humans and animals, particularly cats. Rapid and accessible diagnostic tools are urgently needed to improve case detection and disease surveillance. Thus, this study aimed to validate a previously described loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the diagnosis of sporotrichosis in clinical samples from humans and cats obtained in two highly endemic areas in Brazil. We conducted an observational study including human patients and cats with suspected sporotrichosis. Analytical sensitivity and specificity were initially assessed using reference strains of Sporothrix spp. The diagnostic performance of the LAMP assay was then evaluated in clinical samples at different incubation times and compared with culture results. Sensitivity, specificity, and additional diagnostic parameters were calculated separately for human and cat cases. The LAMP assay was able to detect the three major Sporothrix species associated with sporotrichosis, with higher analytical sensitivity for S. brasiliensis. However, when applied to human clinical samples, the assay showed limited sensitivity and specificity, particularly at earlier incubation times, resulting in poor overall diagnostic performance. In contrast, performance in cat samples was comparatively higher but still affected by false-positive and false-negative results. Despite promising analytical characteristics and previous success in experimental models, this LAMP protocol demonstrated limited diagnostic utility for human and cat sporotrichosis under real-world clinical conditions, highlighting the need for further optimization and rigorous clinical validation before implementation in routine practice.
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BibTeX
@article{almeidapaes2026diagnostic,
title = {{Diagnostic performance of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification test for the diagnosis of human and cat sporotrichosis in two highly endemic areas in Brazil: insights from a real-world, field-based evaluation.}},
author = {Rodrigo Almeida-Paes and Lívia Silveira Munhoz and Susana Ruiz Mendoza and Vanice Rodrigues Poester and Vanessa Brito de Souza Rabello and Helena Schirmer and Márlon Grégori Flôres Custódio and Vanessa Suñé Mattevi and Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas and Melissa Orzechowski Xavier and Rosely Maria Zancopé-Oliveira and Cecília Bittencourt Severo},
journal = {Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s42770-026-02121-5},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42905351},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Diagnostic performance of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification test for the diagnosis of human and cat sporotrichosis in two highly endemic areas in Brazil: insights from a real-world, field-based evaluation.
AU - Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
AU - Lívia Silveira Munhoz
AU - Susana Ruiz Mendoza
AU - Vanice Rodrigues Poester
AU - Vanessa Brito de Souza Rabello
AU - Helena Schirmer
AU - Márlon Grégori Flôres Custódio
AU - Vanessa Suñé Mattevi
AU - Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas
AU - Melissa Orzechowski Xavier
AU - Rosely Maria Zancopé-Oliveira
AU - Cecília Bittencourt Severo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]
DO - 10.1007/s42770-026-02121-5
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42905351
AB - Sporotrichosis is a subacute to chronic mycosis of major public health relevance in endemic regions, affecting both humans and animals, particularly cats. Rapid and accessible diagnostic tools are urgently needed to improve case detection and disease surveillance. Thus, this study aimed to validate a previously described loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the diagnosis of sporotrichosis in clinical samples from humans and cats obtained in two highly endemic areas in Brazil. We conducted an observational study including human patients and cats with suspected sporotrichosis. Analytical sensitivity and specificity were initially assessed using reference strains of Sporothrix spp. The diagnostic performance of the LAMP assay was then evaluated in clinical samples at different incubation times and compared with culture results. Sensitivity, specificity, and additional diagnostic parameters were calculated separately for human and cat cases. The LAMP assay was able to detect the three major Sporothrix species associated with sporotrichosis, with higher analytical sensitivity for S. brasiliensis. However, when applied to human clinical samples, the assay showed limited sensitivity and specificity, particularly at earlier incubation times, resulting in poor overall diagnostic performance. In contrast, performance in cat samples was comparatively higher but still affected by false-positive and false-negative results. Despite promising analytical characteristics and previous success in experimental models, this LAMP protocol demonstrated limited diagnostic utility for human and cat sporotrichosis under real-world clinical conditions, highlighting the need for further optimization and rigorous clinical validation before implementation in routine practice.
SN - 1517-8382
SN - 1678-4405
ER -