Aptamer technology in latent tuberculosis diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: To assess aptamer-based assays for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).

Methods: Literature from Medline, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, covering publications from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2023, was examined. This review evaluates different aptamers, biomarkers, sample types, sample sizes, reference assays, and the assays’ sensitivity and specificity. By using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2, the risk of bias in each study was evaluated.

Results: Aptamer-based assays generally showed a sensitivity of 90% (95% CI: 75%-100%) and specificity of 90% (95% CI: 50%-100%), where optical aptasensor showed the highest sensitivity and specificity at 100%. Serum samples were frequently used to enhance antigen detectability, improving the assay’s performance. Meanwhile, HspX was the most studied biomarker, followed by MPT64, and IFN-γ.

Conclusions: Aptamer-based assays could be reliable alternatives to current LTBI detection methods, but further research is needed to validate their clinical efficacy.

Keywords

Aptamer / Detection / Diagnostics / Latent tuberculosis / Sensitivity / Specificity

Author Information

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding

This research was supported by Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE) Grant (A305-KR-AKH002-0000000278-K134) from the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia.

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Authors’ contributions

SY conducted the experimental studies, performed data acquisition and analysis, and prepared the manuscript. NFMZ defined the intellectual content of the study and conducted literature search. MHY was involved in defining the intellectual content, and contributed in editing and reviewing the manuscript. KS carried out both data analysis and statistical analysis. KMFM led the conceptualization and study design, supervised manuscript editing and review, and served as the guarantor of the study. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Publisher’s note

The Publisher of the Journal remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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