Comparison of immunofluorescence with enzyme immunoassay for detection of Q fever.
To evaluate enzyme immunoassay (EIA) as an alternative to indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) to screen for Q fever in humans, 157 serum samples from patients suspected of having the disease were tested for immunoglobulin G antibodies to Coxiella burnetii. The agreement between the tests and the sensitivity of EIA were excellent (96.8% and 98.4%, respectively) when an IFA titer of > 1/160 was considered positive. All serum samples with a titer of > 1/320 in the IFA were also positive by the EIA. The EIA seems to be an acceptable alternative to IFA for screening for Q fever.
D'Harcourt
S C
SC
Microbiology Department, La Paz Universitary Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Soto
A B
AB
Burgos
V C
VC
Calero
D L
DL
Martínez-Zapico
R
R
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D011778:Q Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial