Background. Infections of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato reveal clinical manifestations affecting numerous organs and tissues. The standard diagnostic procedure of these infections is quite simple if a positive history of tick exposure or typical erythema migrans appears. Lack of unequivocal clinical symptoms creates the necessity for further evaluation with laboratory tests. Objectives. This study discusses the utility of a novel, improved, well-optimized, sensitive and highly specific quantitative real-time PCR assay for the diagnostics of infections caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Material and Methods. We designed an improved, specific, highly sensitive real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) assay for the detection and quantification of all Borrelia burgdorferi genotypes. A wide validation effort was undertaken to ensure confidence in the highly sensitive and specific detection of B. burgdorferi. Results. Due to high sensitivity and great specificity, as low as 1.6 × 10² copies of Borrelia per mL of whole blood could be detected. As much as 12 (3%) negative ELISA IgM results, 14 (2.8%) negative results of Line blot IgM, 11 (3.1%) and 7 (2.7%) of negative ELISA IgG and Line blot IgG results, respectively, were positive in real-time PCR. Conclusions. The data in this study confirms the high positive predictive value of real-time PCR test in the detection of Borrelia infections (Adv Clin Exp Med 2015, 24, 4, 663-670).
In December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that China had accumulated pneumonia of unclear etiology in Wuhan. According to WHO recommendations, in strictly defined situations, antigen tests can be implemented into the diagnostic algorithm to reduce the number of molecular tests performed and support the rapid identification and treatment of COVID-19 patients. According to WHO recommendations, the antigen test for diagnostic use should have a sensitivity of ≥ 80% and a specificity of ≥ 97% compared to molecular tests (NAAT). Based on the comparative analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen ELISA test were determined concerning the RT-PCR reference method. The sensitivity of the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen ELISA was 100% (51/51) and the specificity was 98.84%. The obtained data demonstrate that the analyzed antigen test meets both the WHO and the Ministry of Health criteria.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.