1. Evaluation of a novel commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detecting Coxiella burnetii-specific immunoglobulin G for Q fever prevaccination screening and diagnosis.
- Author
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Field PR, Santiago A, Chan SW, Patel DB, Dickeson D, Mitchell JL, Devine PL, and Murphy AM
- Subjects
- Antibodies, Bacterial blood, Complement Fixation Tests, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect, Humans, Sensitivity and Specificity, Vaccination, Antibody Specificity, Coxiella burnetii immunology, Immunoglobulin G blood, Mass Screening, Q Fever diagnosis
- Abstract
A novel commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for prevaccination screening and diagnosis of Q fever (PanBio Coxiella burnetii immunoglobulin G [IgG] ELISA) was compared to the complement fixation test (CFT), and the indirect fluorescent-antibody test (IFAT) was used to resolve discrepant results between the other two tests. A total of 214 serum samples was tested. The ELISA demonstrated a specificity of 96% (46 of 48 samples) and a sensitivity of 71% (95 of 134 samples). Of the six serum pairs showing CFT seroconversion, three pairs showed a corresponding ELISA seroconversion. No cross-reactivity was observed in the ELISA with serum samples from patients with mycoplasma, brucella, and chlamydia infections. One of the 13 patients with leptospirosis demonstrated a positive result in the ELISA but not in the CFT or the IFAT, and Legionella pneumophila serogroup 4 antibody was found in one of the two sera that were false-positive by ELISA. The results presented in this study suggest that the PanBio Q fever IgG ELISA is a specific alternative method for prevaccination testing and an aid for the diagnosis of Q fever. This test is suitable for use as a screening assay, with CFT and/or IFAT used to confirm negative results.
- Published
- 2002
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