title: Complement-fixation test for rotavirus detection: comparison and analysis of different methods to reduce anti-complementary activity of some specimens.
abstract: The complement-fixation test may be used to detect rotaviral antigens directly in clinical specimens. However, a certain number of specimens tested for human rotaviruses by the complement-fixation test show an anti-complementary activity. By comparing eight techniques we analysed this anti-complementary activity and identified the best method for its reduction. Pretreatment of clarified supernatant of stool suspensions by some methods resulted in a reduction of anti-complementary activity, without reducing the sensitivity of the method. Clarified supernatants of 8/36 (22.2%) specimens were anti-complementary; this anti-complementary activity was best removed by absorption with fetal calf serum or calf albumin. Such treatment offers practical means of increasing the specificity of complement-fixation test. Some observations suggest that the anti-complementary activity of stool suspensions may be frequently due to presence of one or more chelating agents that may be in faecal specimens.
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002417:Cattle; D002498:Centrifugation; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests / Q000379:methods; D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D012709:Serum Albumin; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin