Diagnostic performance indices for immunofluorescent tests and enzyme immunoassays of leishmaniasis sera from northern and north-eastern Brazil

• Published in: Bulletin of the World Health Organization Vol. 68; no. 1; pp. 39 - 43
• Main Authors: GUIMARAES, M. C. S, CELESTE, B. J, FRANCO, E. L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Genève Organisation mondiale de la santé 1990; World Health Organization
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique - standards; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques - standards; Infant; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Leishmaniasis - diagnosis; Leishmaniasis - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Sensitivity and Specificity; South America; Brazil; America; Human; Evaluation; Protozoal disease; Antibody; Serology; Leishmaniasis; Parasitosis; In vitro; Infection; Immunological investigation; Diagnosis; Technique; Immunofluorescence; ELISA assay
• ISSN: 0042-9686; 1564-0604

A total of 341 sera were screened for anti-Leishmania IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies by immunofluorescent (IF) tests and enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). Altogether, 292 of the sera originated from patients with clinically as well as parasitologically diagnosed (positive lesion imprint or the Montenegro skin test) cutaneous leishmaniasis; 49 of the sera were from controls from the same base population. In terms of diagnostic performance, the ELISAs for IgG and IgM yielded indices of diagnostic utility, and the positive predictive value for the IgG-ELISA was 94.6%. A remarkably high specificity (100%) was obtained with the IgA-IF test, but its sensitivity was very low.