title: Evaluation of the card test for diagnosis of human brucellosis.
abstract: The relative efficacy of the card test in the diagnosis of human brucellosis was evaluated by comparison with four other tests: the standard tube agglutination test, centrifugation agglutination test, 2-mercaptoethanol degradation technique, and 2-mercaptoethanol centrifugation agglutination test. A total of 1,701 serum specimens from persons with various degrees of potential exposure to brucella organisms or cross-reactive antigens were used in this study. In comparison with standard tube agglutination results, the card test had a sensitivity of 95.3% and a specificity of 84.1%. The card-test antigen was nonreactive with serum specimens from tularemia patients and cholera vaccinees. Our data indicated that this test measures both immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M agglutinins. The value of the card test in the presumptive serological diagnosis of clinical brucellosis in humans appears to be low; however, the card test may be of value in serological surveys to delineate high-risk populations.
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M