Specificity and sensitivity of a rapid dipstick test ( Brugia Rapid) in the detection of Brugia malayi infection

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2001-11, Vol.95 (6), p.601-604
• Main Authors: Rahmah, N., Taniawati, S., Shenoy, R.K., Lim, B.H., Kumaraswami, V., Anuar, A.Khairul, Hakim, S.Lokman, Hayati, M.I.Noor, Chan, B.T., Suharni, M., Ramachandran, C.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antigens, Helminth - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Brugia malayi; Brugia malayi - immunology; Brugia malayi - isolation & purification; Chromatography - methods; Chromatography - standards; diagnosis; dipstick; Diseases caused by nematodes; evaluation; False Positive Reactions; Filariases; filariasis; Filariasis - diagnosis; Helminthic diseases; Humans; IgG4; Immunoassay - methods; Immunoassay - standards; Immunoglobulin G - analysis; India; Indonesia; Infectious diseases; Lymphatic filariases; Malaysia; Medical sciences; Parasitic diseases; rapid test; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic - standards; recombinant antigen; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tropical medicine
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/S0035-9203(01)90091-4

A total of 753 serum samples from 6 institutions in 3 countries (Malaysia, Indonesia and India) were used to evaluate an immunochromatographic rapid dipstick test, Brugia Rapid, for diagnosis of Brugia malayi infection. The samples comprised sera from 207 microfilaria-positive individuals and 546 individuals from filaria non-endemic areas. The latter consisted of 70 individuals with soil-transmitted helminth infections, 68 with other helminth infections, 238 with protozoan infections, 12 with bacterial and viral infections and 158 healthy individuals. The dipstick is prepared with a goat anti-mouse antibody control line and a B. malayi recombinant-antigen test line. First, the dipstick is dipped into a well containing diluted patient serum, thus allowing specific anti-filarial antibody in the serum to react with the recombinant antigen. Then the dipstick is placed into an adjacent well containing reconstituted anti-human IgG4-gold. After 10 min, development of 2 red-purplish lines denotes a positive result and one line indicates a negative reaction. The overall results of the evaluation showed 97% sensitivity, 99% specificity, 97% positive predictive value and 99% negative predictive value. Brugia Rapid is thus a promising diagnostic tool for detection of B. malayi infection, and would be especially useful for the brugian filariasis elimination programme.