International Journal of Biomedical Science & Bioinformatics
Author(s) : ILADA CHOOPARA, NARAPORN SOMBOONNA
An obligate intracellular human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial cause of sexually transmitted diseases in females and males worldwide. The diseases range from urethritis, cervicitic, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility to trachoma (eye infection) in newborns from infected mothers. Currently, the standard method for C. trachomatis detection in laboratory is polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the gene encoded for a major outer membrane protein (ompA) followed by electrophoresis. This process requires several hours (3.5 hrs. PCR and sequencing), handling of carcinogenic ethidiumbromide during gel electrophoresis, and is expensive. Thermocycling machine and electrophoresis apparatus are high-priced. Thus, the current research developed C. trachomatis detection by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). LAMP is rapid and uses a single temperature; thereby the reaction requires only a heat block or water bath, and thus can be performed in local settings. The current research also included inner loop primers to the LAMP to fasten the reaction time from 30 to 10 minutes