Comparison of the counter-immunoelectrophoresis technique with the Reiter protein and three other serological tests as a first line test for syphilis.
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The counter-immunoelectrophoresis technique with the Reiter protein (RP-CIE) was compared with two complement fixation tests (Kolmer and RPCF) and a flocculation test (VDRL) in sensitivity and specificity. Of the 1,927 consecutive attendants of a venereal disease clinic whose serum samples were used, 250 were considered to be syphilitic. The number of true-positive and false-positive reactions were: 121 and 4 (VDRL), 124 and 2 (Kolmer), 179 and 41 (RPCF), 166 and 16 (RP-CIE). The VDRL and the RPCF combined were more sensitive and less specific than the VDRL combined with the Kolmer. If the RPCF was replaced by the RP-CIE the sensitivity remained the same but the specificity was higher. The RP-CIE scored more positives than the RPCF in untreated cases of primary syphilis. The results argue for substitution of the RP-CIE for the Kolmer in the combination with the VDRL in the serodiagnosis for syphilis. Moreover, the RP-CIE presents the technical advantages of simplicity, speed of performance, and of not being hampered by the anticomplementary nature of the serum sample. (+info)
Comparison between the counter immunoelectrophoresis test and mouse neutralization test for the detection of antibodies against rabies virus in dog sera.
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The detection of rabies antibodies is extremely valuable for epidemiological studies, determination of immune status in man, animals, and for the diagnosis of the disease. Several serological procedures have been described for this purpose. The present study reports a comparison between counterimmunoelectrophoresis test (CIET) and mouse neutralization test (MNT) in the detection of antibodies against rabies virus from 212 serum samples of vaccinated dogs. The agreement between both techniques was 79.7% and a significative association was demonstrated. The correlation coefficients between MNT and the CIET titers was determined considering 88 samples showing positive results in both techniques [CIET = 2 and MNT = 5 (0.13 IU/ml)] and resulted r2 = 0.7926 (p < 0.001). The performance of CIET system was technically simple, cheap and rapid, and thereby it could be useful for serological monitoring of dog vaccination campaigns as well as for individual analysis. (+info)
Comparison of the reversed passive hemagglutination with radioimmunoassay methods for hepatitis B antigen.
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Radioimmunoassay for the detection of hepatitis B antigen has been accepted in many diagnostic laboratories now. The question of nonspecific positives has always been a matter of controversy. Two improved radioimmunoassay tests, namely Ausria II-125 by Abbott Laboratories and a radioimmunoassay method by Connaught Laboratories Limited (Hebria), were compared with the original Ausria 125I. Included in the comparison was the reversed passive hemagglutination test (Auscell, Abbott). Five hundred sera of clinical patients were tested. Fifty-five or 11% were found to have hepatitis B antigen. Three tests, Ausria 125I, Ausria II-125, and Hebria showed the same number of positive sera, whereas Auscell missed one. However, Ausria 125I indicated two additional false positives. Dilution experiments, however, indicated that Ausria II-125 and Hebria were the most sensitive tests, with the reversed passive hemaglutination showing the least sensitivity. Therefore, the new Ausria II-125 and the Hebria radioimmunoassay tests are preferable in view of their sensitivity and specificity. (+info)
Evaluation of turkey erythrocyte hemagglutination assay for the detection of hepatitis B antigen.
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A recently described hemagglutination test for hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) using turkey erythrocytes coated with horse antibody to HBsAg purified by affinity column chromatography was evaluated on a comparative basis with 100 HBsAg-positive and -negative serum samples. The turkey erythrocyte hemagglutination test (TEHA) was found to be less sensitive than radioimmunoassay (RIA) but gave far better results than counterimmunoelectrophoresis. Quantitative titration of HBsAg in serial dilutions of the samples appeared to be more reliably performed by TEHA than by RIA. TEHA is a simple and sensitive technique for the detection of HBsAg and may offer several practical advantages over RIA. (+info)
Clinical significance of antinuclear antibodies, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and anticardiolipin antibodies in heroin abusers.
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BACKGROUND: Different autoantibodies and immunologic abnormalities have been described in heroin abusers positive for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B surface antigen, or hepatitis C virus, as well as in addicts with negative viral markers. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of different autoantibodies in heroin addicts. METHODS: We studied 10 heroin addicts (8 males and 2 females aged 18-30 years) with a mean duration of heroin abuse of 46.5 months (range 6-96) for the presence of the following autoantibodies: antinuclear antibodies and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies--using indirect immunofluorescent technique; ds-DNA, ss-DNA, Sm, RNP, Ro and La antibodies--using counter immunoelectrophoresis; and immunoglobulins G and M anticardiolipin and beta 2-glycoprotein-I antibodies--using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All patients were tested for VDRL, HIV, HBsAG and anti-HCV antibodies. RESULTS: Four patients were positive for ANA, of whom two were positive for anti-HCV and two for ANCA. Three patients were positive for IgM aCL, one of whom was positive for IgG beta 2 GPI with clinical data of acute renal failure in the course of heroin coma and antiphospholipid syndrome (deep vein thrombosis) and positive Sm and ds-DNA antibodies, and another had subacute endocarditis and biopsy-proven chronic tubulo-interstitial nephritis (in both these patients aCL gradually fell to normal levels after the cessation of heroin abuse). One patient was HBsAG positive with negative autoantibodies. All patients were HIV and VDRL negative. CONCLUSION: Our data support the importance of ANA and aCL determination as a predictor of some systemic complications in heroin addicts. (+info)
Aleutian disease of mink: production of 14C-labeled antiviral antibodies by mink lymphoid cells in vitro.
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Lymphoid cells from mink infected with Aleutian disease virus produced labeled, specific antiviral antibody when incubated in medium containing [14C]tyrosine. (+info)
Hepatitis-B surface antigen and cirrhosis in Iraq.
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Hepatitis-B surface antigen was found in 58% of 64 patients with cirrhosis in Iraq using counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIE), radioimmunoassay (RIA), and three commercial haemagglutination tests--Auscell (Abbott Laboratories), Hepatest (Wellcome Reagents Ltd.), and Hepanosticon (Organon Teknika). CIE detected about half as many positives as the other methods; RIA was the most sensitive. The number of positive reactions was much higher than in any previously reported series of patients with cirrhosis and seven times higher than in a normal hospital control population. (+info)
Comparison of four techniques for the detection of Clostridium perfringens type D epsilon toxin in intestinal contents and other body fluids of sheep and goats.
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Polyclonal capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PC-ELISA), monoclonal capture ELISA (MC-ELISA), mouse neutralization test (MNT), and counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP), were compared for their ability to detect epsilon toxin in intestinal contents and body fluids of sheep and goats. When used to evaluate intestinal contents of sheep artificially spiked with epsilon prototoxin, PC-ELISA detected 0.075 mouse lethal dose (MLD)50/ml, whereas the MNT, MC-ELISA, and CIEP detected 6, 25, and 50 MLD50/ml, respectively. Amounts of epsilon toxin detected by PC-ELISA, MC-ELISA, MNT, and CIEP in sheep pericardial fluid artificially spiked with epsilon prototoxin were 0.075, 0.75, 6, and 200 MLD50/ml, respectively. For assaying epsilon toxin in aqueous humor, PC-ELISA and MC-ELISA detected 0.075 MLD50/ml, whereas CIEP detected 200 MLD50/ml (MNT was not evaluated). When 51 samples of intestinal contents of sheep and goats (32 positive and 19 negative to MNT) were analyzed by the other 3 techniques, the relative sensitivity of PC-ELISA, MC-ELISA, and CIEP was 93.75, 84.37, and 37.50%, respectively. The specificity of PC-ELISA, MC-ELISA, and CIEP was 31.57, 57.89, and 84.21%, respectively. The absolute sensitivity of PC-ELISA, MC-ELISA, CIEP, and MNT was 90.90, 69.69, 15.15, and 54.54%. The absolute specificity of the 4 techniques was 100%. These results show that there is a marked inconsistency among techniques routinely used to detect Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin. Until more consistent results are achieved, the diagnosis of enterotoxemia should not only be based solely on epsilon toxin detection, but also on clinical and pathological data. (+info)