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  • Title: An evaluation of two indirect fluorescent antibody tests for the diagnosis of Legionnaire's disease in South Africa.
    Author: Ratshikhopha ME, Klugman KP, Koornhof HJ.
    Journal: S Afr Med J; 1990 Apr 21; 77(8):392-5. PubMed ID: 2184528.
    Abstract:
    The specificity and sensitivity of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA) for the diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease in South African patients is unknown. Heat-treated and formalin-treated antigen preparations from 456 normal blood transfusion donors and from 34 confirmed patients with the disease (3 culture-positive cases and 31 cases of seroconversion) were assessed. Tests using both antigens showed a relatively high degree of positivity at low titres in normal individuals with an age-related increasing frequency of positive tests. The best combinations of specificity and sensitivity of the heat-treated antigen determinations were at titres of 1/128 and for formalin-treated antigen at titres of 1/8 for both IgG and IgM. An IgM titre of 1/8 using the formalin-treated antigen appeared to be the best diagnostic criterion of the IFA but an antibody level of 1/8 using this antigen was attained in only 37.1% of cases on initial testing but 100% of cases on subsequent testing.
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