Evaluation of the direct agglutination test (DAT) using freeze-dried antigen for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies in stored sera from various patient groups in Ethiopia.
Tests on a panel of 421 serum samples from Ethiopia and 11 from Europe with the direct agglutination test (DAT) and freeze-dried antigen (Leishmania donovani 1S) showed that a cut-off titre of 1:200 or 1:400 could be employed. Using a cut-off titre of 1:400, 181 (88.3%) of 205 serum samples from visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients tested positive, as did 5 (13.9%) of 36 sera from patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis, 5 (71.4%) sera from 7 patients with diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis and 8 (89.9%) sera from 9 HIV-positive VL patients. We also found that 19 (57.6%) sera from 33 treated VL patients were still positive in the DAT at 1.5 to 5 years after treatment.
Oskam
L
L
Department of Biomedical Research, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. l.oskam@kit.nl
Nieuwenhuijs
J L
JL
Hailu
A
A
D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D001793:Blood Preservation; D005002:Ethiopia; D005612:Freeze Drying; D006801:Humans; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan