Nasopharyngeal culture, direct immunofluorescence, and serology of acute-phase and paired serum specimens were compared for the laboratory diagnosis of infections due to Bordetella pertussis in a community-based pediatric population with both high vaccine usage and high pertussis incidence. In 77 (37%) of 210 patients evaluated, one or more tests were positive for pertussis. A clinical illness ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends a 2-tier serologic approach to Lyme disease laboratory diagnosis, comprised of an initial serum enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi followed by supplementary IgG and IgM Western blotting of EIA-positive or -equivocal samples. Western blot accuracy is limited by subjective interpretation of weakly posit...

We compared the diagnostic value of an enzyme immunoassay method for detection of gonococcal antigen in genital secretions with culture results and direct Gram stain for Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 1,171 men and 723 women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic. When compared with culture results in men, the immunoassay provided a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 98% and was essenti...

CASE SUMMARY Based on demonstration of the yeast phase of Histoplasma capsulatum on fine-needle aspirate cytology of the kidney, a 5-year-old cat was diagnosed with histoplasmosis. Urine and serum were tested for antigen via a Histoplasma antigen enzyme immunoassay. At the time of diagnosis, and on multiple occasions during antifungal treatment, antigenemia was detected without antigenuria. The...

Workplace drug urinalysis protocols include an initial immunoassay followed by a confirmatory gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) test of immunoassaypositive samples. (Drug categories that are commonly tested include: amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, lysergic acid diethylamide, methadone, methaqualone, opiates, phencyclidine, and propoxyphene. Not all dru...