Comparison of enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay radio immunoassay complement fixation anti complement immuno fluorescence and passive hem agglutination techniques for detecting cytomegalovirus immuno globulin g antibody
Booth, J.C.; Hannington, G.; Bakir, T.M.F.; Stern, H.; Kangro, H.; Griffiths, P.D.; Heath, R.B.
Journal of Clinical Pathology 35(12): 1345-1348
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9746 Accession: 005007526
The radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques were found to be comparable in sensitivity and specificity for detecting cytomegalovirus IgG antibody, and 10-100 times more sensitive than complement-fixation (CF), anticomplement immunofluorescence (ACIF) and passive hemagglutination (PHA). In screening tests for antibody, the frequency of false-positive and -negative results was 0.6% for RIA and ELISA 1.5% for CF, 1.6% for ACIF and 3.6% for PHA. PHA was the least satisfactory test, largely because of technical problems. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is an important cause of congenital brain damage and is also a major complication of both prolonged immunosuppressive therapy, especially in patients with organ transplants, and multi-donor blood transfusions. For serological diagnosis of infection, as well as for screening for antibody in patients and in blood donors, the solid-phase indirect RIA and ELISA techniques offer distinct improvements in sensitivity over previous methods. Although the principle of both tests, based on the detection of antigen-antibody reactions by means of a labeled anti-antibody, is the same, each possesses its own particular technical advantages and disadvantages, and both require their own expensive equipment for the reading of the results. There is still a lack of data on how they compare in sensitivity and specificity. The present study was undertaken to compare the 2 methods for the detection of CMV IgG and to evaluate them against the older techniques of CF, passive PHA and ACIF.