New Trends in the Rapid Serodiagnosis of Leptospirosis

TR/Patoc slide test, ELISA and TIA (Thin-Layer Immunoassay) were evaluated for their use in a rapid serodiagnosis of human leptospirosis. The results obtained indicated that the TR/Patoc slide test is very sensitive and able to detect within a few minutes early antibodies against whichever serovar of leptospires, like the antigens of the Galton test. The value of the ELISA test in detecting antibodies at a low level is confirmed. The TIA assay, employed here for the first time for the diagnosis of leptospirosis, though sensitive seemed too long to perform and consequently it is not a test of choice for a rapid screening of sera

Valutazione di nuove metodiche immunologhe per la ricerca degli anticorpi anti-Leptospire

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) and Thin Layer Immunoassy (TIA) were applied on sera from patients with leptospirosis caused by leptospires from different serogroups and on sera from a control group. The microscopic agglutination test (MA) served as reference. ELISA, CIEP and TIA using an antigen prepared from a single leptospira strain (Wijinberg) agreed with the MA test in 100%, 76% and 80% of the sera from 21 leptospirosis patients, respectively. One false positive TIA reaction was found in 145 controls. ELISA, CIEP and TIA, which are very simple and reproducible and requiring no specific training, can be employed easily as a routine tests in diagnostic procedures