Evaluation of a malarial antibody assay for use in the screening of blood and tissue products for clinical use

• Published in: Vox sanguinis Vol. 87; no. 3; pp. 150 - 155
• Main Authors: Kitchen, A. D., Lowe, P. H. J, Lalloo, K., Chiodini, P. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-10-2004
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan; antibody; Blood Donors; donation; donor; Fluorescent Antibody Technique - methods; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques - methods; malaria; Malaria, Falciparum - diagnosis; Malaria, Falciparum - immunology; Malaria, Falciparum - prevention & control; Malaria, Falciparum - transmission; Plasmodium falciparum - immunology; Risk Factors; screening; Tissue Donors; Tissue Transplantation - adverse effects; Transfusion Reaction
• ISSN: 0042-9007; 1423-0410
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2004.00561.x

Background and Objectives  A new recombinant Plasmodium antigen enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the detection of malarial antibodies was evaluated for the screening of ‘malaria‐risk’ blood and tissue donations.
Materials and Methods  A total of 13 269 donor and patient samples were tested by both the EIA and the standard diagnostic antibody immunofluorescence test (IFAT).
Results  A total of 114/138 (82·6%) samples from patients with P. falciparum and 11/13 (84·6%) samples from patients with P. vivax tested positive. A total of 714/13 053 (5·47%) samples from donors identified as ‘malaria risk’, owing to residency or travel, were reactive in the EIA.
Conclusions  The assay is more sensitive than a previously implemented malarial antibody EIA (73% in acute P. falciparum and 56% in acute P. vivax infections). The sensitivity of this new EIA is comparable to that of the IFAT, and the specificity is sufficient to screen ‘malaria‐risk’ donors.