The meningococcal antibody test: how useful in the diagnosis of meningococcal disease?
Based on 9257 [correction] blood samples received from 7365 patients with a request for a meningococcal antibody test (MAT) during a 10-year period (1986-1995), the usefulness of the test in the diagnosis of meningococcal disease was assessed. Of 635 patients with culture-confirmed meningococcal disease, 88% were seronegative on admittance to hospital and 90% were seropositive 10-15 days after onset of disease. The humoral immune response in children <2 years of age was weaker than in older children and adults. Among 893 MAT-positive patients without culture-confirmed meningococcal disease, 261 (29%) had been notified as cases of meningococcal disease. Among 228 patients notified as serologically confirmed the MAT results were consistent with the clinical diagnosis in 86%. MAT is a reliable tool for establishing a diagnosis in patients with suspected meningococcal disease. Key factors facilitating appropriate interpretation of negative as well as positive test results were: time(s) of sampling(s) after onset of disease, age of the patient and clinical features.
Weis
N
N
Neisseria Unit, Statens Serum Institut, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.
Berthelsen
L
L
Wachmann
H
H
Lind
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial