Table 3.

Evaluation of PCR on RDT on 12 RDT brands

		Results for P. falciparum with 21/μl PCR on whole blood Ct 33.52		Results for P. falciparum with 830/μl PCR on whole blood Ct 26.86
RDT name	blood volume	Ag detection	DNA detection (Ct)	Ag detection	DNA detection (Ct)	RDT fragment used
OptiMAL	10 μl	n	34,67	p	30,12	1/3 NC
SDFK50	5 μl	p	35,32	p	30,36	1/2 NC + C
SDFK60	5 μl	p	35,47	p	30,20	1/2 NC + C
Pan MAL card	5 μl	n	35,77	p	30,49	1/2 NC
First response*	5 μl	p	35,88	p	31,48	2/3 S/C
ICT	5 μl	p	36,74	p	30,18	1/2 NC
ParaHIT	8 μl	p	37,56	p	33,20	1/2 C
Binax	15 μl	p	37,77	p	30,19	1/2 NC
Core*	5 μl	p	38,82	p	32,83	2/3 S/C
Hexagon	5 μl	p	39,58	p	34,08	1/2 NC
Paracheck*	5 μl	p	40,53**	p	37,33	C
Carestart*	5 μl	p	0	p	39,21	2/3 S/C

-Antigen detection is considered positive (p) as test line(s) was (were) visible and negative (n) if no test line was visible.

-DNA detection by real-time PCR on RDT is expressed in Cycle threshold (Ct)-values and RDTs were ranked in order of increasing Ct-values.

-RDT fragments used were either one third (1/3) or half (1/2) of the proximal part of the nitrocellulose (NC) strip or (two third of) the sample (S) and/or conjugate (C) pad (see Figure 2).

* RDTs with a plastic seal covering ik the nitrocellulose strip

** In the first test, no signal was seen (Ct-value 0), only by repetition of the DNA extraction a positive signal (Ct-value 40.53) was observed.