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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2002, p. 3526-3529, Vol. 40, No. 9
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.9.3526-3529.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
and Alan M. Murphy3
Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead,1 Viral Diagnostic and Referral Laboratory, North Ryde, New South Wales,3 PanBio Pty Limited, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia2
Received 3 December 2001/ Returned for modification 10 March 2002/ Accepted 20 June 2002
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.
Present address: Progen Industries, Darra, Queensland, Australia.
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