Enzyme immunoassay for urogenital trichomoniasis as a marker of unsafe sexual behaviour.
Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was used to detect antibodies to Trichomonas vaginalis in sera from Zimbabwe. The EIA showed a sensitivity of 95 and 94% when compared with vaginal swab culture among women attending a family planning clinic (FPC) and female commercial sex workers (CSW) respectively. The specificity was 85 and 77% in the two groups. Culture-negative FPC women were sub-divided into high risk or low risk of exposure to trichomoniasis. The seroprevalence was 10% (6/61) among low risk women, 21% (10/48) among high risk women and 23% (9/39) among culture negative CSW. The EIA was positive in 46% (18/39) men with genital discharge but only 5% (2/37) healthy blood donors. None of 31 sera from prepubescent children was positive. The EIA may be useful for community surveys of trichomoniasis. Because T. vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted disease, the test may indicate behaviour that increases the risk of STD transmission.
Mason
P R
PR
Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Gregson
S
S
Gwanzura
L
L
Cappuccinelli
P
P
Rapelli
P
P
Fiori
P L
PL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011477:Sex Work; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000469:parasitology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000469:parasitology; D015030:Zimbabwe
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D015415:Biomarkers