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. 2012 Mar 1;86(3):383–394. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.10-0658

Figure 3.

Figure 3.

Sensitivity of multiplexed quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for Plasmodium falciparum A-type 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Dilution series of samples containing a known concentration of IVT RNA in nucleic acids from whole blood (A and B) or a known concentration of whole parasites in whole blood (C and D). Analytical sensitivity was 1×103 copies (dark green curves) of IVT target RNA per reaction (A, representative CT analysis of IVT standards; B, representative melting curve analysis of IVT standards). Lower concentrations of IVT standards were detectable by melting curve analysis (purple curve, 5×102 copies/reaction), but are not quantitatively reportable. Using parasite-containing standards, samples containing 40 parasites/mL (pink/purple curve) were routinely detected (C, representative CT analysis of parasite-containing standards; C, representative melting curve analysis of parasite-containing standards). Numbers refer to RNA copies/reaction (A and B) or parasites/mL (C and D).