title: Evaluation of 12 commercial tests for detection of Epstein-Barr virus-specific and heterophile antibodies.
abstract: Ten microbiological departments in Norway have participated in a multicenter evaluation of the following commercial tests for detection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific and heterophile antibodies: CAPTIA Select viral capsid antigen (VCA)-M/G/EBNA (Centocor Inc.), Enzygnost anti-EBV/immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG (Dade Behring), Vironostika EBV VCA IgM/IgG/EBNA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Organon Teknika), SEROFLUOR immunofluorescence assay and EBV Combi-Test (Institute Virion Ltd.), anti-EBV recombinant IgM- and IgG-early antigen/EBNA IgG ELISA (Biotest Diagnostics), EBV IgM/IgG/EBNA ELISA (Gull Laboratories), Paul-Bunnell-Davidsohn test (Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur), Monosticon Dri-Dot (Organon Teknika), Avitex-IM (Omega Diagnostics Ltd.), Alexon Serascan infectious mononucleosis test (Alexon Biomedical Inc. ), Clearview IM (Unipath Ltd.), and Cards+/-OS Mono (Pacific Biotech, Inc.). The test panel included sera from patients with primary EBV infection, immunocompromised patients with recent cytomegalovirus infection, healthy persons (blood donors), and EBV-seronegative persons. Among the tests for EBV-specific antibodies the sensitivity was good, with only small differences between the different assays. However, there was a greater variation in specificity, which varied between 100% (Enzygnost) and 86% (Biotest). Tests for detection of heterophile antibodies based on purified or selected antigen (Avitex, Alexon, Clearview IM, and Cards+/-OS Mono) were more sensitive than the Paul-Bunnell-Davidsohn and Monosticon tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. anne-lise.bruu@folkehelsa.no
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bruu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hjetland
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holter
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Natås
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Petterson
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Skar
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skarpaas
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tjade
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Asjø
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic