Reliability of four methods for the diagnosis of acute infection by Epstein‐Barr virus

Abstract

We studied the reliability of new indirect tests in the diagnosis of acute infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Studied for all samples were: method 1, the heterophil antibodies (Abs) (Monolatex, Biokit, Germany); method 2, the IgM Abs to EBV with ELISA tests (antigen pools, Enzygnost, Behringwerke, Germany); method 3, EA (Biotest Diagnostics, Germany); and method 4, the IgG avidity test. The reliability of the four tests for the detection of primary infection by EBV was: sensitivity (method 1: 89.1%; method 2: 100%; method 3: 79.7%; method 4: 99%); specificity (method 1: 98%; method 2: 100%; method 3: 84%; method 4: 100%); positive predictive value (method 1: 97.6%; method 2: 100%; method 3: 73.6%; method 4: 100%), and negative predictive value (method 1: 90.7%; method 2: 100%; method 3:84%; method 4: 99%). The IgG avidity test (method 4) is simple and automated in the laboratory and is very useful for ascertaining, from a single sample, the time since infection. It is criteria of recent primoinfection higher levels than 55% of IgG with low avidity for the antigen. The investigation of the Abs to antigen pools (method 2) by ELISA of virus had a high reliability, but the investigation of heterophil Abs by latex (method 1) and the Abs IgM to EA (method 2) were lacking in sensibility regarding their use in the diagnosis of the primoinfection. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 11:78-81.

Clinical reliability of IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies in detecting Epstein‐Barr virus at different stages of infection with a commercial nonrecombinant polyantigenic ELISA

“…The Enzygnost EBV kit uses several lymphocyte-expressed antigens. In previous studies that compared Enzygnost with different methods (14,22), we found a good correlation with other ELISA or IFA methods that use only VCA. Enzygnost has optimal diagnostic reliability as long as patients with clonal stimulation of B cells are excluded.…”

“…However, indirect diagnosis does not detect all actual illnesses because the antibodies may be absent, or may occur in situations of the clonal stimulation of B lymphocytes (due to a present infection by another pathogenic agent) (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). Different authors (12)(13)(14)(15) have tried to solve some of these diagnostic problems by detecting sera IgG without avidity for the antigen (Ag), which is present in primary infections, although the absence of IgG and the rapid increase in its affinity for the antigen reduce the diagnostic reliability of this test.…”

Prevalence of microbial pathogens in blood cultures: an etiological and histopathological study

“…One of such systems is the BACTEC system, which uses non invasive fluorescent technology to detect increases in Co 2 produced by the microbial growth. The performance of such a system is influenced by several factors including the volume of blood samples, the use of resins shaking to increase the recovery of aerobic microorganisms, duration of incubation, and final subculture [10].…”