Evaluation of indirect fluorescent antibody test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of hepatic amebiasis in Bangladesh

J Parasitol. 2000 Jun;86(3):611-5. doi: 10.1645/0022-3395(2000)086[0611:EOIFAT]2.0.CO;2.

Abstract

Serum samples of 31 amebic liver abscess (ALA) patients, 8 amebic hepatitis (AH) patients, and 60 controls were tested for anti-amebic IgG by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFAT). Sera of 29 (93.6%) ALA and 6 (75%) AH patients and 2 (3.3%) control subjects were positive by IFAT. Anti-amebic antibody titer above the cutoff point (= 0.168; x + 2 SD of control sera) was observed in sera of 27 (87%) ALA, 4 (50%) AH, and 1 (1.7%) control by ELISA. All the 8 pus samples were positive for anti-amebic antibodies by IFAT and ELISA. Sensitivity of ELISA was 87% for ALA, with a positive predictive value of 0.96, and 50% for AH cases, with a positive predictive value of 0.80. The sensitivity of IFAT was 93.6% for ALA, with a positive predictive value of 0.94, and 75% for AH, with a positive predictive value of 0.75. When pus samples were tested, the sensitivity was 100% for both tests. The specificity was 98.3% for ELISA and 96.7% for IFAT. Although not significant, IFAT was found more sensitive than ELISA (P>0.05).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / analysis*
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
  • Bangladesh
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Entamoeba histolytica / immunology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Liver Abscess, Amebic / diagnosis*
  • Liver Abscess, Amebic / immunology
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Reference Values
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Suppuration / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Protozoan
  • Immunoglobulin G