Seiringer, PeterPritsch, MichaelFlores-Chavez, MariaMarchisio, EdoardoHelfrich, KerstinMengele, CarolinHohnerlein, StefanBretzel, GiselaLöscher, ThomasHoelscher, MichaelBerens-Riha, Nicole2019-02-132019-02-132017-04-07Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2017;88(3):225-23207328893http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/7174Due to increased migration, Chagas disease has become an international health problem. Reliable diagnosis of chronically infected people is crucial for prevention of non-vectorial transmission as well as treatment. This study compared four distinct PCR methods for detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA for the use in well-equipped routine diagnostic laboratories. DNA was extracted of T. cruzi-positive and negative patients' blood samples and cultured T. cruzi, T. rangeli as well as Leishmania spp. One conventional and two real-time PCR methods targeting a repetitive Sat-DNA sequence as well as one conventional PCR method targeting the variable region of the kDNA minicircle were compared for sensitivity, intra- and interassay precision, limit of detection, specificity and cross-reactivity. Considering the performance, costs and ease of use, an algorithm for PCR-diagnosis of patients with a positive serology for T. cruzi antibodies was developed.engVoRComparisonConventionalDiagnosisPCRReal-timeTrypanosoma cruziAdolescentAdultBloodChagas DiseaseChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMolecular Diagnostic TechniquesPolymerase Chain ReactionAtribución-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 4.0 Internacional2845643088323210.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2017.04.0031879-0070Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Diseaseopen access