Point of care testing evaluation of lateral flow immunoassay for diagnosis of cryptococcus meningitis in HIV-positive patients at an urban hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, 2017

BMC Res Notes. 2019 Dec 5;12(1):797. doi: 10.1186/s13104-019-4829-4.

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) against latex agglutination (LA), India ink and culture in point-of-care diagnosis of cryptococcus meningitis (CM). We conducted cross-sectional study among HIV-positive patients with suspected CM at Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi, April-July 2017.

Results: Of 124 capillary blood and serum and 99 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, LFA and LA had a concurrence on serum of 94.4%, kappa (0.88), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (91%). LFA and LA on CSF, was 97.9%, kappa (0.96), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (96%). LFA and India ink was 96.9%, kappa (0.94), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (94.1%). On CSF culture, concurrence was 72.7%, kappa (0.43), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (64%) and of LFA on capillary blood, serum and CSF was 100% with kappa (1.00), sensitivity and specificity of 100%.

Keywords: HIV; Kenya; Meningitis; Point of care.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • HIV Seropositivity / complications*
  • Hospitals, Urban
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / methods*
  • Kenya
  • Latex Fixation Tests / methods
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal / blood
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal / complications
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal / diagnosis*
  • Point-of-Care Testing*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity