title: Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the diagnosis of kala-azar in Malda district (West Bengal).
abstract: An immunological test based on indirect (plate) ELISA has been successfully standardized and modified using promastigote soluble antigen. The test carried out on 813 subjects from a kala-azar endemic area (including parasitologically confirmed patients, subjects presenting with clinical symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis and endemic controls) and a non-endemic area (with diseases other than kala-azar and apparently normal subjects) was found to detect, specifically, antileishmanial antibodies. The plate ELISA has been simplified to a more sensitive dot-ELISA where the results are read within 2-3 h. The antigen requirement is 250 ng per test. No cross-reactivity with sera from patients of malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, amoebiasis and filariasis was observed. The follow up monitoring of antibodies in successfully treated kala-azar patients showed a decline of antibodies. A drop of blood taken on filter paper is sufficient to conduct the test. Dot ELISA therefore is a simple, inexpensive and stable test in serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, King George's Medical College, Lucknow.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chandra
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Katiyar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan