title: rK39 antigen for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis by using human saliva.
abstract: The rK39 rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT) is now being widely used in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) using serum. We evaluated the presence of anti-rK-39 antibody in human saliva being noninvasive to replace the invasive procedures of diagnosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and ICT assays were performed in 300 subjects: 114-confirmed VL patients, 95 and 47 healthy controls from endemic and nonendemic regions, respectively, and 44 subjects with different diseases. Sensitivity in saliva was 83.3% by ELISA and 82.5% by ICT, compared with 100% for both ICT and ELISA in serum. Specificity in saliva was 100%, 90.5%, and 88.6% with ELISA, and 91.48%, 91.57%, and 84.06% using ICT, in nonendemic, endemic, and different diseases, respectively. In serum, specificity was 97%, 88.5%, and 89% by ELISA and 100%, 94.7%, and 95.5% by ICT in nonendemic, endemic, and different diseases, respectively. Saliva is not suitable for diagnosis of VL because of low sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. vaish.manisha@gmail.com
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaish
authors.forename: Om Prakash
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Jaya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chakravarty
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sundar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000469:parasitology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan