title: The past and present role of the Sabin-Feldman dye test in the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis.
abstract: The dye test for the detection of Toxoplasma-specific antibodies was first described by Sabin and Feldman 50 years ago. The test is highly specific and sensitive and considerable information is available on the development and persistence of dye test antibodies after primary Toxoplasma infection. However, the test uses live Toxoplasma gondii and is now only employed in a few laboratories. It is still the reference method for the serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis, and a multicentre study comparing dye test results between different laboratories was much needed. We report in this article the results of a multicentre evaluation of the test involving nineteen laboratories in eight countries. The study revealed overall satisfactory standardization between the laboratories, but there were differences in the test protocols, the use of reference/standard preparations and the interpretation of results. There is still no agreement on the level of dye test values which reflect infection with the parasite, and conversion from titres to international units (IUs) did not improve standardization. However, the results indicated that a value of > 4 IU or a titre of 1:16 met the definition of positivity of most participants. We recommend that the dye test be retained as a reference method and that interlaboratory standardization be improved by the use of a common protocol and the expression of results in titres.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Parasitology, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reiter-Owona
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Joynson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aspöck
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dardé
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Disko
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dreazen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dumon
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grillo
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayde
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holliman
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Ho-Yen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Janitschke
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jenum
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naser
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olszewski
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thulliez
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Seitz
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards; D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008751:Methylene Blue; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D008751:Methylene Blue