RAPID AND SENSITIVE DETECTION OF TICK-BORNE RELAPSING FEVER BORRELIAE IN TICK DNA SAMPLES BY USING LOOP-MEDIATED ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION (LAMP)

Background and Aim:Tick Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF) caused by Borreliae spp. is transmitted via bites of the soft tick Ornithodoros spp. that primarily inhabits burrows, nests, caves, and cavities. TBRF is an endemic disease in Iran, with more 100 annual cases. In the study, the glpQ-LAMP assay was used to detect of TBRF Borreliae in DNA of Ornithodoros ticks collected from the endemic area from Iran during 2017.Methods:Sixty Ornithodoros spp. ticks were collected from endemic areas of Iran and subjected to DNA extraction. The specific glpQ primers were used for amplification of a specific conserved fragment of glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase gene (glpQ). So the extracted DNA samples were examined by the glpQ-LAMP assay at 60 °C for 60 minutes.Results:Visual analysis of the reaction tubes showed a white turbidity corresponds to glpQ gene amplification in 19 DNA thick samples. Comparing to positive and negative control reactions, the other samples did not show positive signal.Conclusion: For the first time, we used the glpQ-LAMP assay to detect TBRF Borreliae in ticks successfully. The glpQ-LAMP assay can be used as a sensitive, specific and rapid method in epidemiologic and field studies. Despite the improvement in health conditions, significant rates of ticks are still contaminated with TBRF Borreliae in Iran.