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Table 5 Assessment of sensitivity and specificity for molecular PCR-assays in clinical (n = 110) and subclinical (n = 324) malaria suspects

From: Ribosomal and non-ribosomal PCR targets for the detection of low-density and mixed malaria infections

Study population/molecular protocol

True positive

False positivea

True negative

False negative

Sensitivity (CI 95%)

Specificity (CI 95%)

Clinical malaria suspects

 Nested-PCR

36

0

70

4

90% (0.76–0.97)

100% (0.95–1.0)

 R-qPCR

37

1

70

2

95% (0.83–0.99)

99% (0.92–1.0)

 NR-cPCR

34

0

70

6

85% (0.70–0.94)

100% (0.95–1.0)

 NR-qPCR

36

1

70

3

92% (0.79–0.98)

99% (0.92–1.0)

Subclinical malaria suspects

 Nested-PCR

16

1

232

75

18% (0.10–0.27)

100% (0.98–1.0)

 R-qPCR

67

2

232

23

74% (0.64–0.83)

99% (0.97–1.0)

 NR-cPCR

42

0

232

50

46% (0.35–0.56)

100% (0.98–1.0)

 NR-qPCR

72

17

232

3

96% (0.89–0.99)

93% (0.89–0.96)

  1. Sensitivity and specificity was determined as previously described (23). The reference standard (true positive) for each protocol was calculated by combining the detections by any PCR, excluding the protocol under evaluation
  2. aFalse positive in a sense that no other molecular protocol detected these infections