title: Evaluation of serological tests to identify Trypanosoma cruzi infection in humans and determine cross-reactivity with Trypanosoma rangeli and Leishmania spp.
abstract: Five commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), one in-house ELISA, and two hemagglutination assays were evaluated to determine their diagnostic accuracy for Chagas' disease in two studies. In study 1, ELISA kits showed 100% sensitivity, but specificities ranged from 82.84% to 100% when leishmaniasis cases were included and from 95.57% to 100% when leishmaniasis cases were excluded. Kits using recombinant antigens or synthetic peptides are more specific than those using crude extracts from Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms. Kits evaluated in Panama, in study 2, showed 75% to 100% sensitivity and 97.12% to 100% specificity. These data were obtained by using a Western blot assay with T. cruzi trypomastigote excreted-secreted antigens as a reference test to confirm T. cruzi infection.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo and Departamento de Medicina Preventiva da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar 470, CEP 05403-000, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Zuleima C
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Octavio E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Waldelania P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Amadeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saez-Alquezar
authors.forename: Eufrosina S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Umezawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins