Table 6.

Performance of urea-improved FD-DAT in comparison with an original, β-ME LQ-DAT version

Direct agglutination test versiona	Clinical status	Number of sera tested	Direct agglutination test result	Titer range
Urea-improved FD-DAT	VL	8	Positive	≥ 1:25,600
	Non-VL	11	Negative	1:100
		11	Negative	≤ 1:50
Non-expired FD-DAT with β-ME	VL	5	Positive	≥ 1:25,600
		3	Positive	1:12,800
	Non-VL	1	Negative	1:200
		21	Negative	1:100
Non-expired LQ-DAT with β-ME*	VL	8	Positive	≥ 1:25,600
	Non-VL	1	Negative	1:200
		2	Negative	1:100
		19	Negative	1:50

β-ME = β-mercaptoethanol; FD-DAT = freeze-dried direct agglutination test; LQ-DAT = liquid direct agglutination test; VL = visceral leishmaniasis.

* DAT versions with the same symbol (*) are not statistically different (Fr = 9.6500; P = 0.0080).