Antigen detection from urine of Kala-azar cases by latex agglutination test.
A recently developed Latex agglutination method known as "KATEX" for detecting leishmanial antigen in urine of Kala-azar patients was evaluated on 97 Kala-azar cases and 35 controls in the department of Microbiology, Mymensingh Medical College during the period from March' 2004 to February' 2005. The method yielded sensitivity as 100% and 82.8% in 33 confirmed and 64 ICT positive cases respectively. Since 8.6% controls showed antigen positive results, so specificity of KATEX was calculated as 91.4%. KATEX methods for antigen detection in urine should be used as an early immuno-diagnostic test as it has yielded high sensitivity. But interpretation of a positive test must be made cautiously having correlation with clinical findings as because it becomes false positive in Kala-azar free person. Further elucidation of KATEX method including larger population from community giving particular emphasis on its prognostic use was strongly recommended.
Alam
M
M
Community Based Medical College, Bangladesh, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
Shamsuzzaman
Ak
A
Musa
Ak
A
Khan
Ah
A
Mahmud
Mc
M
Hossain
Ma
M
Ahmed
Aa
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000652:urine*; D001459:Bangladesh; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000379:methods*; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan