The use of whole blood in a dipstick assay for detection of antibodies to Mycobacterium leprae: a field evaluation

FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 1998 Jul;21(3):197-201. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.1998.tb01166.x.

Abstract

We describe a further simplification of a dipstick assay for the detection of antibodies to phenolic glycolipid I of Mycobacterium leprae by using whole blood and evaluated the assay performance in the leprosy endemic area of Amazonas in Brazil. The agreement with the 'gold' standard ELISA was 94.9% (kappa value = 0.87). This simple assay may be useful to identify those at risk of developing leprosy, for example among contacts of leprosy patients at lower levels in the health services.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • Antigens, Bacterial*
  • Blood
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic
  • Glycolipids / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Leprosy / diagnosis*
  • Mycobacterium leprae / immunology*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Serologic Tests / methods*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Glycolipids
  • phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae