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Serological and molecular detection of Strongyloides stercoralis infection among an Orang Asli community in Malaysia

Ahmad AF, Hadip F, Ngui R, Lim YA, Mahmud R

Parasitol Res, 2013 Aug;112(8):2811-6.
PMID: 23666229 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-013-3450-z

Detection of Strongyloides stercoralis infection particularly in asymptomatic individuals is often hampered due to the lack of standard diagnostic tools. In this study, the use of serological and molecular approaches were investigated for the detection of S. stercoralis infection among an Orang Asli (indigenous) community following a preliminary detection by microscopic examination of faecal samples. Out of 54 individuals studied, 17/54 (31.5%) were detected to be positive for S. stercoralis infection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), compared to 0/54 (0%) by faecal examination. Further confirmation performed by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using DNA extracted from faecal samples of these 17 individuals yielded 3/17 (17.6%) positives for S. stercoralis DNA amplification. No amplification was seen with the other 37 faecal samples, which were negative by microscopy and ELISA. As the high ELISA positive results were suspected to be false-positives, ELISA is not recommended for use as a detection tool but may be beneficial for evaluating the effectiveness of anti-Strongyloides drugs. The present finding indicated that PCR should be considered as an alternative diagnostic tool for the detection of S. stercoralis infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext Diagnostic Potential of an IgE-ELISA in Detecting Strongyloidiasis

Ahmad H, Balachandra D, Arifin N, Nolan TJ, Lok JB, Hayat Khan A, et al.

Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2020 12;103(6):2288-2293.
PMID: 32996454 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0265

Strongyloides stercoralis infection is prevalent worldwide and can cause lifelong infection in immunocompetent individuals, and potentially death in immunosuppressed patients. The diagnosis is hindered by the low sensitivity of microscopic examination, thus making serology an important complementary test to improve the detection rate. However, there were reports that some Strongyloides-infected individuals were negative with specific IgG and IgG4 assays, and other helminth infections were positive with commercial Strongyloides IgG-ELISAs. Thus, there is a need to develop better serodiagnostic methods for strongyloidiasis. We investigated the diagnostic potential of IgE-ELISAs using Strongyloides larval lysate. Sera from two groups infected with Strongyloides served as the positive reference, that is, 1) positive by commercial IgG-ELISAs and IgG4 rapid test, and stool samples positive by microscopy and/or PCR (group IA; n = 20); and 2) negative by IgG-ELISAs and IgG4 rapid test, but stool samples were PCR positive (group IB sera; n = 11). Sera from another two groups served as negative reference (controls), that is, 1) infected with other parasites (group II; n = 73) and 2) healthy donors (group III; n = 22). Results showed a 100% diagnostic sensitivity in detecting sera from groups IA and IB. The latter group of individuals probably had early infection because their IgG and IgG4 assays were negative. The optical density values of group IB sera were also significantly lower than those of group IA (P < 0.003). The IgE-ELISA was 100% specific when tested against sera from groups II and III. This study highlights the diagnostic potential of IgE-ELISA using larval lysate to detect strongyloidiasis, especially those with probable early infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext Serological diagnostic potential of recombinant outer membrane proteins (rOMPs) from Brucella melitensis in mouse model using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Ahmed IM, Khairani-Bejo S, Hassan L, Bahaman AR, Omar AR

BMC Vet Res, 2015;11:275.
PMID: 26530141 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-015-0587-2

Brucella melitensis is the most important pathogenic species of Brucella spp. which affects goats and sheep and causes caprine and ovine brucellosis, respectively. Serological tests for diagnosis of brucellosis such as Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) usually utilize smooth lipopolysaccharides (S-LPS) as a diagnostic antigen which could give false positive serological reactions. Outer membrane proteins (OMP) of B. melitensis have been used as alternative diagnostic antigens rather than S-LPS for differential serological diagnosis of brucellosis, mainly in ELISA with single recombinant OMP (rOMP) as a diagnostic antigen. Nevertheless, the use of single format mainly showed lack of sensitivity against the desired rOMP. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether a newly developed rOMPs indirect ELISA (rOMPs I-ELISA), based on combination of rOMP25, rOMP28 and rOMP31of B. melitensis, has a potential benefit for use in the serodiagnosis of brucellosis.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext SARS-CoV-2 infection in mortuary and cemetery workers

Alishaq M, Jeremijenko A, Nafady-Hego H, Al Ajmi JA, Elgendy M, Fadel RAA, et al.

Int J Infect Dis, 2021 Apr;105:621-625.
PMID: 33711522 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.03.012

BACKGROUND: Mortuary and cemetery workers may be exposed to the bodies of people with SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, prevalence of infection among these groups is unknown.
METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) for RT-PCR and serologic testing for SARS-CoV-2 were performed on mortuary and cemetery workers in Qatar. Data on specific job duties, living conditions, contact history, and clinical course were gathered. Environmental sampling was carried out to explore any association with infection. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with infection.
RESULTS: Forty-seven mortuary workers provided an NPS and seven (14.9%) were PCR positive; 32 provided a blood sample and eight (25%) were antibody positive, six (75%) who were seropositive were also PCR positive. Among the 81 cemetery workers, 76 provided an NPS and five (6.6%) were PCR positive; 64 provided a blood sample and 22 (34.4%) were antibody positive, three (13.6%) who were seropositive were also PCR positive. Three (22.2%) and 20 (83.3%) of the infected mortuary and cemetery workers were asymptomatic, respectively. Age <30 years (OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.7-14.6), community exposure with a known case (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.7-13.3), and presence of symptoms in the preceding 2 weeks (OR 9.0, 95% CI 1.9-42.0) were independently associated with an increased risk of infection (PCR or antibody positive). Of the 46 environmental and surface samples, all were negative or had a Ct value of >35.
CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of mortuary and cemetery workers had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which was incidentally detected upon serologic testing. These data are most consistent with community acquisition rather than occupational acquisition.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext Evaluation of recombinant antigens for diagnosis of melioidosis

Allwood EM, Logue CA, Hafner GJ, Ketheesan N, Norton RE, Peak IR, et al.

FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol., 2008 Oct;54(1):144-53.
PMID: 18657105 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.2008.00464.x

Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, is endemic to Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Clinical manifestations of the disease are diverse, ranging from chronic localized infection to acute septicaemia, with death occurring within 24-48 h after the onset of symptoms. Definitive diagnosis of melioidosis involves bacterial culture and identification, with results obtained within 3-4 days. This delayed diagnosis is a major contributing factor to high mortality rates. Rapid diagnosis is vital for successful management of the disease. This study describes the purification and evaluation of three recombinant antigenic proteins, BPSL0972, BipD and OmpA from B. pseudomallei 08, for their potential in the serodiagnosis of melioidosis using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The recombinant proteins were evaluated using 74 serum samples from culture-confirmed melioidosis patients from Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. In addition, 62 nonmelioidosis controls consisting of serum samples from clinically suspected melioidosis patients (n=20) and from healthy blood donors from an endemic region (n=18) and a nonendemic region (n=24) were included. The indirect ELISAs using BipD and BPSL0972 as antigens demonstrated poor to moderate sensitivities (42% and 51%, respectively) but good specificity (both 100%). In contrast, the indirect ELISA using OmpA as an antigen achieved 95% sensitivity and 98% specificity. These results highlight the potential for OmpA to be used in the serodiagnosis of melioidosis in an endemic area.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext Evaluation of a Commercial Immuno-Chromatographic Assay Kit for Rapid Detection of IgM Antibodies against Leptospira Antigen in Human Serum

Amran F, Liow YL, Halim NAN

J Korean Med Sci, 2018 Apr 23;33(17):e131.
PMID: 29686599 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e131

Leptospirosis is a febrile zoonotic disease. Routine diagnosis of leptospirosis is based on the detection of specific antibodies with serological tests. The aim of our study was to determine the usefulness of immunochromatographic assay (ICA), ImmuneMed Leptospira IgM Duo Rapid test kit from Korea, in rapid screening of acute leptospirosis in emergency cases with limited expertise. A total of 197 serum samples (93 positive, 104 negative) were selected randomly. The test has good diagnostic sensitivity 73% and specificity 90%. With positive predictive value of 87% and negative predictive value of 79%, this reassures patients have higher chance of correct diagnosis. This ICA is acceptable for screening of leptospirosis but confirmation with microscopic agglutination test should follow.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext Serodiagnosis and early detection of Strongyloides stercoralis infection

Arifin N, Hanafiah KM, Ahmad H, Noordin R

J Microbiol Immunol Infect, 2019 Jun;52(3):371-378.
PMID: 30482708 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2018.10.001

Strongyloidiasis is a major neglected tropical disease with the potential of causing lifelong infection and mortality. One of the ways for effective control of this disease is developing improved diagnostics, particularly using serological approaches. A serological test can achieve high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, has the potential for point-of-care translation, and can be used as a screening tool for early detection. More research is needed to find clinically important antibody biomarkers for early disease detection, mapping, and epidemiological surveillance. This article summarizes human strongyloidiasis and the available diagnostic tools for the disease, focusing on describing the current antibody assays for strongyloidiasis. Finally, prospects of developing a more effective serodiagnostic tool for strongyloidiasis are discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests*
Fulltext Identification and Preliminary Evaluation of a Novel Recombinant Protein for Serodiagnosis of Strongyloidiasis

Arifin N, Yunus MH, Nolan TJ, Lok JB, Noordin R

Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2018 04;98(4):1165-1170.
PMID: 29436335 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0697

Strongyloides stercoralis is a human parasite that can cause a long-term infection. In immunosuppressed patients, strongyloidiasis may be fatal when there is overwhelming autoinfection resulting in the migration of large numbers of larvae through many organs. Definitive diagnosis is still a challenge, and a combination of symptoms, microscopic identification, and serology test results are often used to arrive at a clinical decision. However, intermittent larval excretion, low parasite burden, and occult infections are challenges with parasitological diagnosis of infection with S. stercoralis. Meanwhile, serologic tests using immunoglobulin G and parasite antigen extract have problems of cross-reactivity with other helminthic infections. Recombinant antigen-based serodiagnosis is a good alternative to overcome the laboratory diagnostic issues. Herein, we report on the isolation of cDNA clone encoding an antigen of potential diagnostic value identified from immunoscreening of a S. stercoralis cDNA library. The translated protein had highest similarity to Strongyloides ratti immunoglobulin-binding protein 1. The recombinant antigen produced, rSs1a, was assessed using western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The latter showed 96% diagnostic sensitivity and 93% specificity; thus, rSs1a has good potential for use in serodiagnosis of human strongyloidiasis.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext Outbreaks of monkeypox and serological surveys in nonhuman primates

Arita I, Gispen R, Kalter SS, Lim TH, Marennikova SS, Netter R, et al.

Bull World Health Organ, 1972;46(5):625-31.
PMID: 4340222

In connexion with the recent detection of cases of monkeypox in man in West and Central Africa, the frequency of monkeypox outbreaks in monkeys since 1958, when the disease was first recognized in captive animals, has been investigated. Special incidence surveys were made for this purpose. During the last 3 years, a serological survey has been conducted to find natural foci of monkeypox virus, and a total of 2 242 sera from monkeys of different species from various parts of Africa and Asia have been examined for poxvirus antibodies. The survey failed to detect any significant indication of poxvirus infections. The observations suggest that although a few human cases of monkeypox have been identified, monkeypox in the natural environment is not widespread and is perhaps localized in small areas.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
A new antigen detection ELISA for the diagnosis of Strongyloides infection

Balachandra D, Rahumatullah A, Lim TS, Mustafa FH, Ahmad H, Anuar NS, et al.

Acta Trop, 2021 Sep;221:105986.
PMID: 34058161 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105986

Serodiagnosis is an essential component of the laboratory diagnosis of Strongyloides infection and is usually performed using an indirect IgG antibody test. A direct antigen detection method can complement the IgG assay, particularly for detecting early infection and post-treatment follow-up. In the present study, a recombinant scFv monoclonal antibody against NIE recombinant protein (rMAb23) that we had previously produced was used to develop a Strongyloides antigen detection ELISA (SsAg-ELISA). The assay is based on detecting immune complexes of circulating NIE antigens bound to Strongyloides-specific IgG antibodies. The optimized ELISA parameters were 10 µg/mL of rMAb23 coated on microtitre plate wells, 2% skim milk as blocking reagent, 1:100 serum dilution, and 1:1000 goat anti-human IgG F(ab')2 conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Four groups of serum samples were used, i.e., Strongyloides-positive serum samples categorized into Groups IA and IB; the former were from probable chronic infections and the latter from probable early/acute infections. Strongyloides-negative samples comprising Groups II (healthy samples) and III (other infections); the latter were from eleven different types of other parasitic infections. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 1.00, cut-off optical density (OD405) of 0.5002, and 100% diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. The results of the commercial IgG-ELISA and SsAg-ELISA from Group IA were found to be moderately correlated (r = 0.416; p

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext Prevalence and risk factors of feline leukaemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus in peninsular Malaysia

Bande F, Arshad SS, Hassan L, Zakaria Z, Sapian NA, Rahman NA, et al.

BMC Vet Res, 2012 Mar 22;8:33.
PMID: 22439903 DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-33

BACKGROUND: Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are major causes of morbidity and mortality in domestic and wild felids. Despite the clinical importance of feline retroviruses and the growing interest in cats as pets, information about FeLV and FIV in Malaysia is presently insufficient to properly advise veterinarians and pet owners. A cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2010 to December 2010 to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with FeLV and FIV among domestic cats in peninsular Malaysia. Plasma samples were harvested from the blood of 368 domestic cats and screened for evidence of FeLV p27 antigen and FIV antibodies, using an immunochromatographic kit. Additionally, data on cat demographics and health were collected using a structured questionnaire, and were evaluated as potential risk factors for FeLV or FIV status.
RESULTS: Of the 368 cats that were evaluated in this study, 12.2% (45/368; 95% CI = 8.88 - 15.58) were positive for FeLV p27 antigen, 31.3%, (115/368; 95% CI = 26.51 - 35.99) were seropositive to FIV antibodies, and 4.3% (16/368; 95% CI = 2.27 - 6.43) had evidence of both viruses. Factors found to significantly increase the risk for FeLV seropositivity include sex, age, behaviour, sickness, and living in a multi-cat household. Seropositive response to FIV was significantly associated with sex, neuter status, age, behaviour, and health status.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that FeLV and FIV are common among domestic cats in peninsular Malaysia, and that factors related to cat demographics and health such as age, sex, behaviour, health status and type of household are important predictors for seropositive status to FeLV or FIV in peninsular Malaysia. High prevalence of FeLV or FIV observed in our study is of concern, in view of the immunosuppressive potentials of the two pathogens. Specific measures for control and prevention such as screening and routine vaccination are needed to ensure that FeLV and FIV are controlled in the cat population of peninsular Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext HIV Testing and awareness of HIV status among people who inject drugs in greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bazazi AR, Vijay A, Crawford FW, Heimer R, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL

AIDS Care, 2018 Jan;30(1):59-64.
PMID: 28803503 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2017.1363852

HIV testing services are the gateway into HIV treatment and are critical for monitoring the epidemic. HIV testing is recommended at least annually in high-risk populations, including people who inject drugs (PWID). In Malaysia, the HIV epidemic is concentrated among PWID, but their adherence to testing recommendations and the proportion of HIV-positive PWID who are aware of their status remain unknown. We recruited 460 PWID in Greater Kuala Lumpur using respondent-driven sampling and conducted HIV testing. We examined past testing behaviors, estimating testing frequency, correlates of testing in the past 12 months, and the proportion of those living with HIV who were aware of their status. Results showed that most PWID living with HIV (90.4%, 95% CI: 83.6%-95.9%) were aware of their status. Among those never previously diagnosed with HIV, few had accessed HIV testing in the past 12 months (14.3%, 95% CI: 11.1%-18.0%). Prison (57.0%) and compulsory drug detention centers (36.1%) were the primary locations where PWID reported ever being HIV tested, and the main correlate of recent testing in regression was recent criminal justice involvement. Although awareness of HIV status may be high among PWID living with HIV in Kuala Lumpur, testing occurs primarily in prisons and compulsory drug detention centers, where it is involuntary and linkage to care is limited. A shift in HIV testing policy is needed to align health and human rights objectives, replacing mandatory testing with voluntary testing in settings where individuals can be rapidly linked to HIV care.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
The effect of habitat on the prevalence of human scrub typhus in Malaysia

Cadigan FC, Andre RG, Bolton M, Gan E, Walker JS

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 1972;66(4):582-7.
PMID: 4561007
Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Limited diagnostic value of two commercial rapid tests for acute leptospirosis detection in Malaysia

Chang CH, Riazi M, Yunus MH, Osman S, Noordin R

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2014 Dec;80(4):278-81.
PMID: 25241641 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2014.08.012

This study evaluated 2 rapid leptospirosis serological tests, Leptorapide® (Linnodee, Northern Ireland) and VISITECT®-LEPTO (Omega Diagnostics, Scotland, UK), which are commonly used in Malaysia. A total of 183 samples comprised 113 sera from leptospirosis patients, and 70 sera from other infections and healthy controls were used. The leptospirosis sera were grouped into 2 serum panels, i.e., Group I (MAT+, PCR+) and Group II (MAT+). When inconclusive results were interpreted as positives, both tests showed lower diagnostic sensitivities (≤ 34%) with Group I sera, as compared to Group II sera (Leptorapide®, 93%; VISITECT®-LEPTO, 40%). When inconclusive results were interpreted as negatives, the 2 tests showed ~20% sensitivity with both serum panels. The diagnostic specificity of VISITECT®-LEPTO (94%) was superior to Leptorapide® (69%). Since both tests had misdiagnosed a large proportion of Group I patients and showed many inconclusive results among Group II patients, they have limited diagnostic value in detecting acute leptospirosis.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests/methods*
Fulltext Effects of repeated comparative intradermal tuberculin testing on test results: a longitudinal study in TB-free red deer

Che-Amat A, Risalde MÁ, González-Barrio D, Ortíz JA, Gortázar C

BMC Vet Res, 2016 Sep 05;12(1):184.
PMID: 27596591 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0825-2

Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus) is challenging and might require combining cellular and humoral diagnostic tests. Repeated skin-testing with mycobacterial purified protein derivatives (PPDs) might sensitize or desensitize the subjects to both kinds of diagnostic tools. We evaluated the effect of repeated (every 6 months) comparative tuberculin skin testing on skin test and ELISA responsiveness in farmed red deer hinds from a TB-free herd. Eighteen 8-month old hinds were inoculated with bovine and avian PPDs and the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), as positive control and concurrently tested by ELISA for antibodies against avian (avian PPD, aPPD and protoplasmatic antigen 3, PPA3) and bovine antigens (bPPD and MPB70). Blood serum was also sampled three weeks after each skin testing round and tested for antibodies against aPPD and bPPD, in order to detect eventual antibody level boosts. Testing took place every six months from winter 2012 until winter 2015.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests
Fulltext How useful is a history of rubella vaccination for determination of disease susceptibility? A cross-sectional study at a public funded health clinic in Malaysia

Cheong AT, Tong SF, Khoo EM

BMC Fam Pract, 2013;14:19.
PMID: 23368977 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2296-14-19

Identification of pregnant women susceptible to rubella is important as vaccination can be given postpartum to prevent future risks of congenital rubella syndrome. However, in Malaysia, rubella antibody screening is not offered routinely to pregnant women in public funded health clinics due to cost constraint. Instead, a history of rubella vaccination is asked to be provided to establish the women's risk for rubella infection. The usefulness of this history, however, is not established. Thus, this paper aimed to determine the usefulness of a history of rubella vaccination in determining rubella susceptibility in pregnant women.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests/economics
Fulltext Immunogenicity of bacterial-expressed recombinant Plasmodium knowlesi merozoite surface protein-142 (MSP-142)

Cheong FW, Fong MY, Lau YL, Mahmud R

Malar J, 2013;12:454.
PMID: 24354660 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-12-454

Plasmodium knowlesi is the fifth Plasmodium species that can infect humans. The Plasmodium merozoite surface protein-1(42) (MSP-1(42)) is a potential candidate for malaria vaccine. However, limited studies have focused on P. knowlesi MSP-1(42).

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests/methods
Transcriptome analysis of Burkholderia pseudomallei T6SS identifies Hcp1 as a potential serodiagnostic marker

Chieng S, Mohamed R, Nathan S

Microb Pathog, 2015 Feb;79:47-56.
PMID: 25616255 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2015.01.006

Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, is able to survive extreme environments and utilizes various virulence factors for survival and pathogenicity. To compete and survive within these different ecological niches, B. pseudomallei has evolved specialized pathways, including the Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs), that have a role in pathogenesis as well as interbacterial interactions. We examined the expression profile of B. pseudomallei T6SS six gene clusters during infection of U937 macrophage cells. T6SS-5 was robustly transcribed while the other five clusters were not significantly regulated proposing the utility of T6SS-5 as a potential biomarker of exposure to B. pseudomallei. Transcription of T6SS regulators VirAG and BprB was also not significant during infection when compared to bacteria grown in culture. Guided by these findings, three highly expressed T6SS genes, tssJ-4, hcp1 and tssE-5, were expressed as recombinant proteins and screened against melioidosis patient sera by western analysis and ELISA. Only Hcp1 was reactive by both types of analysis. The recombinant Hcp1 protein was further evaluated against a cohort of melioidosis patients (n = 32) and non-melioidosis individuals (n = 20) sera and the data clearly indicates a higher sensitivity (93.7%) and specificity (100%) for Hcp1 compared to bacterial lysate. The detection of anti-Hcp1 antibodies in patients' sera indicating the presence of B. pseudomallei highlights the potential of Hcp1 to be further developed as a serodiagnostic marker for melioidosis.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests/methods
Evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii-recombinant dense granular protein (GRA2) for serodiagnosis by western blot

Ching XT, Lau YL, Fong MY, Nissapatorn V

Parasitol Res, 2013 Mar;112(3):1229-36.
PMID: 23274488 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-012-3255-5

Toxoplasma gondii infects all warm-blooded animals including humans, causing serious public health problems and great economic loss in the food industry. Commonly used serological tests involve preparation of whole Toxoplasma lysate antigens from tachyzoites which are costly and hazardous. An alternative method for better antigen production involving the prokaryotic expression system was therefore used in this study. Recombinant dense granular protein, GRA2, was successfully cloned, expressed, and purified in Escherichia coli, BL21 (DE3) pLysS. The potential of this purified antigen for diagnosis of human infections was evaluated through western blot analysis against 100 human serum samples. Results showed that the rGRA2 protein has 100 and 61.5 % sensitivity towards acute and chronic infection, respectively, in T. gondii-infected humans, indicating that this protein is useful in differentiating present and past infections. Therefore, it is suitable to be used as a sensitive and specific molecular marker for the serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma infection in both humans and animals.

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests/methods
Rapid serodiagnosis of typhoid fever by dot enzyme immunoassay in an endemic area

Choo KE, Oppenheimer SJ, Ismail AB, Ong KH

Clin Infect Dis, 1994 Jul;19(1):172-6.
PMID: 7948526

A dot enzyme immunoassay (EIA) using 50-kD outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) of Salmonella typhi was compared with the Widal test for the serodiagnosis of typhoid fever in 109 febrile children admitted to a hospital in an endemic area. In the culture-positive typhoid group, the initial dot EIA was positive in 40 of 42 cases and the initial Widal test was positive in 41. In the culture-negative clinical typhoid group, both the dot EIA and the Widal test were positive in 17 of 18 cases. In the nontyphoidal fever group, the dot EIA was negative in all of 49 cases and the Widal test was negative in 44. With culture used as the gold standard, the dot EIA is as sensitive as the Widal test (95% vs. 98%), has a similar high negative predictive value (96% vs. 98%), and is more specific (75% vs. 67%). In addition, the dot EIA offers the advantages of simplicity, speed, early diagnosis, economy, and flexibility (i.e., other diagnostic tests can be conducted simultaneously).

Matched MeSH terms: Serologic Tests

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