Discrepancies and consequences of indirect hemagglutination, indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA tests for the diagnosis of Chagas disease.
Using the indirect hemagglutination (IH), indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for the diagnosis of Chagas disease, 4000 serum samples were examined. This study was conducted with different purposes: clinical interest, research support and parasitological monitoring of those patients with Chagas disease who were treated with heart transplantations. The tests occurred without patient selection and in accordance with the medical requests. The results showed discrepancies and brought about several questions, considering the different results that all three methods showed when considered together. What was found brought about concerns and we suggest the adoption of different measures, aiming to avoid these mismatches in the context of this disease.
Laboratório de Investigação Médica, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
Regina Maia de
RM
Souza
Vicente
V
Amato Neto
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan