[Toxoplasmosis round-robin test in Austria: results and limits of the toxoplasmosis screening].
In 1983 the Osterreichische Gesellschaft für Qualitätssicherung und Standardisierung medizinisch-diagnostischer Untersuchungen (OQUASTA) has invited the Department of Medical Parasitology of the Clinical Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, University of Vienna (today: Medical University of Vienna), to establish an external quality assessment service on the detection of specific antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, one of the most prevalent protozoic parasites in the world. The objective of this project was the support of Austrian laboratories in standardising their test methods for the detection of specific antibodies against T. gondii. Between 1983 and 2004, 45 collaborating studies were carried out. During this period, the number of participating laboratories has increased from 10 in 1983 to about 50 in recent years. In total, the test results produced by the laboratories matched with the nominal values in more than 90%. On the examples of three human cases we demonstrate that externally validated serological methods alone, despite their great benefit, are not enough for a sufficient serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis; unusually complicated serological situations do arise and can only be met by the knowledge about special tests, the application of an appropriate examination strategy and -- last but not least -- by many years of experience.
Auer
Herbert
H
Abteilung für Medizinische Parasitologie, Klinisches Institut für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Medizinische Universität Wien, Osterreich. herbert.auer@meduniwien.ac.at
Vander-Möse
Angelika
A
Picher
Otto
O
Aspöck
Horst
H
D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D015995:Prevalence; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*