The Reiter protein complement-fixation test using the AutoAnalyzer

Evaluation of automated large-scale screening tests for syphilis.

“…The cardiolipin and Reiter complement fixation tests were carried out on the Technicon Auto-Analyzer using the manifold depicted in fig 1 and based on the original method of Pugh and Gaze (1966). Using sheep blood preserved in Alsever's solution (Oxoid), a 2% of cell suspension was prepared as follows: the cells were washed three times in veronal buffer by repeated centrifugation at 1000 rev/min.…”

“…Previous authors (Pugh and Gaze, 1966;Wagstaff et al, 1969) have reported favourably on the use of the Technicon AutoAnalyzer for automation of the CWR and RPCFT, but one of the main problems seemed to be the continuous flow system's limited rate of testing. If all specimens were tested against cardiolipin and Reiter antigens separately, and all those giving positive or doubtful results were retested against complement alone, it would be difficult to test more than 150 samples each day as allowance must be made for the time required to prepare the machine for use, to wash it through after testing is finished, and to transcribe the results.…”

Automation of the Wassermann complement-fixation test using a discrete analyser.

“…Factors such as deproteinization which tend to complicate the automation of biochemical analyses do not arise in this field. Some workers (Vargues, 1964;Pugh, and Gaze, 1966) have applied the Technicon Auto-analyser to the automation of complement-fixation tests, because these constitute a major part of the routine work in serology departments, but this approach appears to have met with a limited degree of acceptance. Taylor (1969) has outlined the main shortcomings of a continuous flow system for this type of test, the chief one being the necessity for working at relatively slow sampling speeds in order to avoid sample interaction.…”

A new rapid method for automatic complement-fixation tests

“…In 1965, a method was proposed simultaneously in Great Britain by Pugh and Gaze and in France by Vargues, Studievic, and Ripault (1965). These initial methods were later improved (Irvine, 1966;Pugh and Gaze, 1966;Smith, Read, and Prytula, 1967) but cross contamination of normal sera by strongly positive sera was still troublesome. In 1968, Vargues proposed a second method which presented many advantages such as the absence of contamination, good reproducibility, and a sufficiently rapid rate of analysis (70 samples per hour).…”