TABLE 1.
Evaluation of IgM ELISA based on recombinant EBV 18-kDa matrix protein antigen for the diagnosis of primary EBV infection and comparison with reference assays and heterophile antibody tests
| Results of reference tests
|
No. of sera | Consensus interpretation of reference test results | No. (%) of sera positive by:
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBV VCA IgM IF | EBV VCA IgG IF | EBNA antibody | EBV VCA IgM ELISA | Heterophile antibody test | ||
| Concordant results | ||||||
| Positive | Positive | Negative | 23 | Recent primary EBV infection | 22 (96) | 9 (39) |
| Negative | Positive | Positive | 56 | Past EBV infection | 3 (5) | 1 (2) |
| Negative | Negative | Negative | 28 | No evidence of recent or past EBV infection | 0 (0) | 1 (4) |
| Discordant results | ||||||
| Negative | Positive | Negative | 9 | Discordant results in reference testsa | 1 (11) | 1 (11) |
| Positive | Positive | Positive | 1 | Discordant results in reference testsb | 1 | 0 |
a
VCA IgG-EBNA profile suggested recent infection, but no VCA IgM was detected by IF test.
b
VCA IgM IF test indicated recent infection, but positive EBNA antibody suggested past infection.