Immune and parasite-derived biomarkers in non-invasive specimens for the diagnosis and prognosis of malaria: a scoping review protocol
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Malaria diagnosis currently depends on blood-based methods: light microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests, and PCR, all of which require invasive sampling. Invasive sampling reduces participation in community surveys and repeated-sampling studies, carries a risk of blood-borne infection, and is resisted in some settings for cultural reasons. A growing body of work has examined whether host immune markers and parasite-derived antigens can instead be measured in non-invasive specimens such as saliva and urine, but this literature is dispersed across immunology, parasitology, proteomics and diagnostics, and has not been systematically mapped. This scoping review will map the biomarkers that have been investigated in non-invasive specimens for the diagnosis or prognosis of malaria, the specimen types and analytical platforms used, the comparators and reference standards applied, and the geographical and population settings studied. The objective is to characterise the extent, range and nature of the available evidence and to identify gaps, rather than to estimate a pooled measure of diagnostic accuracy. The review follows the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and will be reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. Eligible specimens are saliva, oral fluid, gingival crevicular fluid, urine, tears and breast milk. Searching was completed between 14 and 19 August 2026 and identified 3,620 records; the full strategy, with every string, date and record count, is deposited with this registration. No record had been screened and no eligibility decision had been made at the time of registration.
Language: English
Topic: Malaria Research and Control
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204462986