A Comparative Analysis of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification and Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for the Detection of Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever Borrelia in Borrelia tholozani Ticks from Northwest Iran
Abstract
Background & Objectives: The tick Borrelia tholozani serves as a principal vector for Relapsing Fever Borrelia (RFB), an endemic pathogen in Iran. In this study, we assessed and compared the efficacy of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the detection of Borrelia by targeting the glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (glpQ) gene—a sequence conserved across all RFB species—in Ornithodoros ( O ). tholozani ticks collected from Northwest Iran.
Materials & Methods: A total of 103 O. tholozani ticks were collected from Northwest Iran in 2017. Following DNA extraction, the samples were analyzed using both glpQ - LAMP and glpQ-PCR assays.
Results: The glpQ gene sequence indicative of RFB was identified in 18.44% (19 out of 103) of the ticks when analyzed by glpQ-LAMP, whereas the glpQ-PCR assay detected RFB DNA in 12.62% (13 out of 103) of the samples.
Conclusion: The glpQ-LAMP assay is proposed as a rapid and reliable molecular diagnostic tool for monitoring RFB in ticks from areas endemic for Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF).