title: Evaluation of urine as a clinical specimen for diagnosis of hepatitis a.
abstract: The present study pertains to the evaluation of urine as a specimen for detection of anti-hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) antibodies. Immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG, and IgA capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for hepatitis A were performed on paired serum and urine specimens collected from hepatitis A patients (n = 92), healthy individuals (n = 100), non-A hepatitis patients (n = 70), and patients with nonhepatic diseases (n = 64, including 37 renal disease patients). Hepatitis A patients seropositive for anti-HAV IgM showed 95.65% uropositivity. No false-positive reactions were observed in control groups. The uropositivity of anti-HAV IgM persisted during the convalescent phase of the disease. Anti-HAV IgG uropositivity correlated well with corresponding seropositivity in all groups (P > 0.05 for each). No significant difference between the proportions of serum and urine positivity for anti-HAV IgA was noted (P > 0.05 for each). Using seroreactivity as a "gold standard," the sensitivity and specificity for anti-HAV IgM, anti-HAV IgG, and anti-HAV IgA tests with urine as a specimen were found to be 95.65 and 100%, 97.76 and 76.47%, and 92.23 and 88.18%, respectively. Urine appears to be comparable to serum for diagnosis of recent and past infection with hepatitis A.
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Division, National Institute of Virology, Pune, 411 001 India.
authors.forename: Madhuri S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Shobha D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chitambar
authors.forename: Vidya A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Arankalle
authors.forename: Mandeep S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chadha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M