Rapid Detection of Candida auris Using a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) method

Candida auris (C. auris) can cause nosocomial transmission in susceptible hosts . This study aimed to use the Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technique as a novel detection technique for C. auris and compare the efficacy with PCR. Methods. This study was performed on C. auris fungal isolates as positive samples and five different standard Candida species as negative control samples. The sensitivity and specificity were determined using different C. auris DNA concentrations. LAMP products were identified by electrophoresis, turbidity, and colorimetric methods. Finally, the products were sequenced. Results. The LOD (limit of detection) of the LAMP was 10 times lower than the PCR reaction. LAMP and PCR correctly identified C. auris with 100% specificity. The nBLAST results showed the similarity between the sequences of the PCR products and Gene Bank sequences, confirming the specific amplification of target gene in C. auris genome by LAMP and PCR methods. Conclusion. The reproducibility and reliability of the LAMP reaction in differentiating C. auris from closely related species were confirmed. The developed LAMP technique holds promise for testing the clinical samples for quick detection of C. auris with excellent accuracy.