Abstract
Field trials in West Africa have shown the value of the estimation of serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels as a screening test in endemic trypanosomiasis areas. A further field trial carried out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is described. The technique used, based on double diffusion on an agar plate, gave consistent results in skilled hands, but the standard required is probably too high for the wide application of the method under normal field conditions. The diameter of the precipitation zones for 200 sera from new patients from a survey population of nearly 10 000 was generally between 8.3 mm and 9.7 mm, while the mean diameter for 210 sera from healthy persons was 6.2 mm. The results for 115 sera from previously treated patients were generally intermediate between these two levels.
Duplicate IgM estimations made in the laboratory on dried blood samples collected on filter-paper in the field gave agreement with the serum IgM test in 96% of the cases. The greater simplicity of the filter-paper method might make it suitable for wide-scale IgM estimations.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bailey N. M., Cunningham M. P., Kimber C. D. The indirect fluorescent antibody technique applied to dried blood, for use as a screening test in the diagnosis of human trypanosomiasis in Africa. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1967;61(5):696–700. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(67)90135-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cunningham M. P., Bailey N. M., Kimber C. D. The estimation of IgM immunoglobulin in dried blood, for use as a screening test in the diagnosis of human trypanosomiasis in Africa. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1967;61(5):688–695. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(67)90134-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- FAHEY J. L., MCKELVEY E. M. QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN ANTIBODY-AGAR PLATES. J Immunol. 1965 Jan;94:84–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Guthe T. Freezing and transport of sera in liquid nitrogen at-150 degrees C to-196 degrees C. Bull World Health Organ. 1965;33(6):864–867. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MACARIO C., BENTZ M. DONN'EES 'EPID'EMIOLOGIQUES NOUVELLES SUR LA TRYPANOSOMIASE HUMAINE AFRICAINE 'A T. GAMBIENSE. Bull Soc Pathol Exot Filiales. 1963 May-Jun;56:422–434. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MATTERN P. TECHNIQUES ET INT'ER ET 'EPID'EMIOLOGIQUE DU DIAGNOSTIC DE LA TRYPANOSOMIASE HUMAINE AFRICAINE PAR LA RECHERCHE DE LA BETA-MACROGLOBULINE DANS LE SANG ET DANS LE L.C.-R. Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1964 Sep;107:415–421. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MATTERN P. [High beta2-macroglobulinorachia in patients with African trypanosomiasis]. Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1962 Jan;102:64–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]