{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T18:11:47Z","timestamp":1778004707883,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777939200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    This laboratory protocol describes a fully standardized and integrated diagnostic workflow for the detection of major sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV-1\/2,\n                    <jats:italic>Treponema pallidum,<\/jats:italic>\n                    hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV),\n                    <jats:italic>Chlamydia trachomatis<\/jats:italic>\n                    , and HSV-2. The workflow combines rapid immunochromatographic tests, non-treponemal and treponemal assays, hemagglutination testing, and ELISA-based antibody and antigen detection into a coherent algorithm. The protocol is aligned with ISO 15189 and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations and is specifically designed to be feasible in resource-limited laboratories. It includes detailed pre-analytical requirements for blood collection, transport, and storage; standardized step-by-step procedures for each assay; internal and external quality assurance components; troubleshooting guidance; and recommendations for data management and sample traceability. This integrated approach aims to optimize diagnostic yield, ensure reproducibility, and support large-scale epidemiological studies or routine diagnostic activities in low-income settings where access to molecular testing is limited.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0346598","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T17:24:15Z","timestamp":1778001855000},"page":"e0346598","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Integrated laboratory protocol for the diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Standardized pre-analytical procedures, rapid screening, hemagglutination, and ELISA methods for use in resource-limited settings"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-9720-3259","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Faramalala Mamitiana","family":"Ramamonjiarisoa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zara Nomentsoa","family":"Razafiarimanga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roseline","family":"Ramaroson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]]},"reference":[{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0346598.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(18)30159-2","article-title":"Advancing the public health applications of Chlamydia trachomatis serology","volume":"18","author":"SC Woodhall","year":"2018","journal-title":"Lancet Infect Dis"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref002","unstructured":"Waters MB, et al. Chlamydia trachomatis seroassays used in epidemiologic studies. 2024."},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0346598.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"442","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms7100442","article-title":"Antibody Testing in Estimating Past Exposure to Chlamydia trachomatis in The Netherlands Chlamydia Cohort Study","volume":"7","author":"BM Hoenderboom","year":"2019","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref004","article-title":"Trends in Chlamydia trachomatis IgG seroprevalence in the Netherlands, 1996\u20132017","author":"ZW Alexiou","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref005","article-title":"Pgp3 antibody prevalence in young people","author":"P Horner","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref006","article-title":"Global estimates of HSV-2 infection burden in 2012","author":"KJ Looker","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref007","article-title":"Global incidence and prevalence of HSV-1\/HSV-2","author":"M Harfouche","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref008","article-title":"Performance of four diagnostic assays for HSV-2 antibodies","author":"GK Nasrallah","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Clin Virol"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref009","article-title":"Seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection in fertility clinic patients","author":"NM Abdo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref010","volume-title":"Guidelines on Hepatitis B and C Testing","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2017"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref011","volume-title":"Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Assays: Operational Characteristics","author":"Pan American Health Organization","year":"2001"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref012","volume-title":"HBsAg Confirmatory Reagent Kit \u2013 Package Insert","author":"Abbott Diagnostics","year":"2019"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref013","article-title":"Neutralization assay for confirmation of HBsAg","author":"GJ Fletcher","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Gastroenterol Hepatol"},{"key":"pone.0346598.ref014","volume-title":"Neutralization confirmatory testing for low-level HBsAg","author":"H Han","year":"2024"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0346598","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T17:24:30Z","timestamp":1778001870000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0346598"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Yury E","family":"Khudyakov","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0346598","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]]}}}