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Use of a serological approach for prediction of Salmonella status in an integrated pig production system.

Relevance of a Salmonella serological detection technique was studied from complete results obtained from 9 pigs fattening units. Feces and overshoes were sampled at different periods after starting fattening (2, 3 and 4 months) while caecal contents were taken on the slaughter line. The bacteriological technique used was based on a Diasalm enrichment and a commercial test was used for serology on an average of ten animals per batch. The aim of this work was to establish a correlation between serological results obtained at slaughter (10 samples/batch) and bacteriological results. In this context, two types of logistic regression models were tested by considering alternatively serology and Salmonella detection in caecal contents as the dependent variables. Firstly, beside the fact that all logistic regression models show weak correlations, the first finding was that positive results in overshoes taken at 2 and 3 months are slightly correlated with serological status of herds (odds-ratios of 4.96 and 2.55). Secondly, when batches were characterized as positive on the basis of serological results, the probability of Salmonella recovery in caecal contents was higher than when the batches were considered as negative (odds-ratios comprised between 4.36 and 5.81). A major conclusion is that serology can be used to follow the improvement of an integrated pig production system, but is not the unique solution for assessing risk of Salmonella shedding from specific herds.

Abattoirs↗

[Study of developing clinical outbreak and serological rebounds in children with congenital toxoplasmosis and follow-up during the first 2 years of life].

BACKGROUND: The survival of T gondii bradyzoites in cysts explains clinical recurrences and serological rebounds after birth in children with congenital toxoplasmosis. At the present time, management of such manifestations is not well defined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-three infants with congenital toxoplasmosis were followed-up at the University Hospital of Lille (France) during the first two years of life. For each child, the treatment before and after birth was well defined. Clinical, ophthalmological, radiological and serological data were collected every third month. Serological assays specially adapted to this age bracket were used for the quantification of specific IgG, or for the detection of T gondii specific IgM and IgA. RESULTS: Seventy-six serological rebounds were reported in 55 of the 63 children (87%). They concerned essentially IgG (96%) and less frequently IgM (47%) or IgA (60%). At the same time, only five clinical recurrences were observed, four of them being preceded by a serological rebound. DISCUSSION: Treatment of fetuses or children with pyrimethamine and sulfonamides versus spiramycin alone was associated with a decrease in the frequency of serological rebounds during the first year of life (P < 0.001). Such a therapeutic regimen during the second year of life decreases the appearance of serological rebounds in children without rebound antecedent (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The increase in number of rebounds after the end of a course of pyrimethamine and sulfonamides necessitates the evaluation of such a long term treatment without interruption.

Child, Preschool↗

Accuracy of serology and 13C-urea breath test for detection of Helicobacter pylori in children.

BACKGROUND: Indirect noninvasive methods, such as the 13C-urea breath test and serology, can be useful for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in children. We analyzed retrospectively the diagnostic accuracy of these two methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between September, 1989, and October, 1996, H. pylori status was determined in 139 children by means of culture and histologic study of gastric biopsies. We performed 146 13C-urea breath tests and serologic assays (Cobas core; Roche). RESULTS: H. pylori infection was detected in 91 of 139 (65%) children. The 13C-urea breath test was discordant with H. pylori status in 4 of 146 tests; serology was discordant in 24 and indeterminate in 7 of 146. The 13C-urea breath test was more sensitive than serology (98% vs. 79%, P < 0.01) but comparable in specificity (96% vs. 92%). The serology yielded false negative results more often in children younger than 5 years of age (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The 13C-urea breath test is more reliable than serology for the detection of active H. pylori infection in children. Below 10 years of age serology is insufficiently sensitive for clinical purposes, whereas the 13C-urea breath test remains a reliable test.

Adolescent↗

Comparison of RFLP-DR beta and serological HLA-DR typing in 1500 individuals.

A group of 1522 individuals were HLA-DR-typed both by the standard serological technique and by the RFLP method. Whereas 11% (n = 164) of the serological typings were technically unsuccessful or doubtful, all typings were successful by RFLP. The results of the remaining 1358 typings revealed a serological error rate of 25%. In 16% a serological "blank" turned out to be a definable allele by RFLP, while in 9% an allele was incorrectly interpreted by serology. Of the individuals tested, 11% were HLA-DR homozygous by RFLP. Our results demonstrate an important clinical potential of RFLP typing for the typing of bone marrow transplant candidates in whom serology often fails, and for kidney transplant candidates with "blanks" or serologically "difficult" HLA antigens.

Alleles↗

Application of hepatitis serology testing algorithms to assess inappropriate laboratory utilization.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Many studies pointed out inappropriate utilization of laboratory caused by excessive amounts of tests ordered by doctors. To prevent and to eliminate the ordering of unhelpful tests, introducing diagnostic algorithms, which are also a suitable practice for application to hepatitis serology, have been suggested. This study aimed to determine inappropriate test ordering rates with respect to the commonly approved algorithms for serological diagnosis of viral hepatitis. METHODS: To assess the number of inappropriate test orders, laboratory records of samples sent for hepatitis A, B, and D serology were reviewed and evaluated retrospectively with respect to algorithms for serological diagnosis of viral hepatitis. Orders including serological marker groups with inadequate clinical information to determine whether or not the order was inappropriate were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: Application of diagnostic algorithms showed that 50% of anti-HAV IgM and anti-HAV total; 12.7% of anti-HBs, 12.7% of anti-HBc total, 78.5% of anti-HBc IgM, 87.3% of HBe Ag, 78.8% of anti-HBe, 58.7% of anti-HD total orders were made inappropriately. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides information for inappropriate laboratory utilization for hepatitis serology testing and we suggest to use diagnostic algorithms applied by the serology laboratory to decrease the rate of unhelpful test orders.

Algorithms↗

High resolution HLA-C typing by PCR-SSP: identification of allelic frequencies and linkage disequilibria in 604 unrelated random UK Caucasoids and a comparison with serology.

Recent evidence indicates that HLA-C molecules are biologically relevant by eliciting T-cell responses and exerting control over NK cell function. In addition, HLA-C is associated with susceptibility to various diseases, notably psoriasis vulgaris. Clarification of the full biological roles for HLA-C has however proved difficult because detection of HLA-C antigens by complement mediated cytotoxicity using alloantisera is inefficient. Up to 50% of individuals in every race have serologically undetectable HLA-C locus antigens due to a combination of relatively low expression, lack of serological reagents and a lack of information about the distribution of the HLA-C blank alleles. Recently, amplification of DNA using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) has proved a reliable, accurate and rapid method for medium resolution HLA-C typing. We have now developed high resolution HLA-C typing by PCR-SSP utilizing allele and group-specific PCR-SSP reactions which can identify all HLA-C alleles (except non-coding change alleles) in most heterozygous combinations. Using this system we have typed 604 unrelated United Kingdom Caucasoids to generate accurate frequency and linkage disequilibrium data. To assess the validity of serology for HLA-C, PCR-SSP typings for 527 out of the 604 individuals were compared to serology. We find that the frequency of many HLA-C antigens has been underestimated by serology and some antigens such as Cw6 are consistently assigned incorrectly by serology. The overall discrepancy rate between serology and SSP was high at 37% (195/527). High-resolution HLA-C typing of 112 International Histocompatibility Workshop cell lines has also been performed.

Alleles↗

High resolution HLA-C typing by PCR-SSP: identification of allelic frequencies and linkage disequilibria in 604 unrelated random UK Caucasoids and a comparison with serology.

Recent evidence indicates that HLA-C molecules are biologically relevant by eliciting T-cell responses and exerting control over NK cell function. In addition, HLA-C is associated with susceptibility to various diseases, notably psoriasis vulgaris. Clarification of the full biological roles for HLA-C has however proved difficult because detection of HLA-C antigens by complement mediated cytotoxicity using alloantisera is inefficient. Up to 50% of individuals in every race have serologically undetectable HLA-C locus antigens due to a combination of relatively low expression, lack of serological reagents and a lack of information about the distribution of the HLA-C blank alleles. Recently, amplification of DNA using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) has proved a reliable, accurate and rapid method for medium resolution HLA-C typing. We have now developed high resolution HLA-C typing by PCR-SSP utilizing allele and group-specific PCR-SSP reactions which can identify all HLA-C alleles (except non-coding change alleles) in most heterozygous combinations. Using this system we have typed 604 unrelated United Kingdom Caucasoids to generate accurate frequency and linkage disequilibrium data. To assess the validity of serology for HLA-C, PCR-SSP typings for 527 out of the 604 individuals were compared to serology. We find that the frequency of many HLA-C antigens has been underestimated by serology and some antigens such as Cw6 are consistently assigned incorrectly by serology. The overall discrepancy rate between serology and SSP was high at 37% (195/527). High-resolution HLA-C typing of 112 International Histocompatibility Workshop cell lines has also been performed.

Alleles↗

The HLA Dictionary 2004: a summary of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1/3/4/5 and -DQB1 alleles and their association with serologically defined HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR and -DQ antigens.

This report presents serological equivalents of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DRB3, -DRB4, -DRB5 and -DQB1 alleles. The dictionary is an update of that published in 2001. The data summarize equivalents obtained by the World Health Organization Nomenclature Committee for Factors of the HLA System, the International Cell Exchange (UCLA), the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), recent publications and individual laboratories. This latest update of the dictionary is enhanced by the inclusion of results from studies performed during the 13th International Histocompatibility Workshop and from neural network analyses. A summary of the data as recommended serological equivalents is presented as expert assigned types. The tables include remarks for alleles, which are or may be expressed as antigens with serological reaction patterns that differ from the well-established HLA specificities. The equivalents provided will be useful in guiding searches for unrelated haematopoietic stem cell donors in which patients and/or potential donors are typed by either serology or DNA-based methods. The serological DNA equivalent dictionary will also aid in typing and matching procedures for organ transplant programmes whose waiting lists of potential donors and recipients comprise mixtures of serological and DNA-based typings. The tables with HLA equivalents and a questionnaire for submission of serological reaction patterns for poorly identified allelic products will be made available through the WMDA web page (http://www.worldmarrow.org) and, in the near future, also in a searchable form on the IMGT/HLA database.

Alleles↗

Comparison of PCR and serology assays for early diagnosis of acute Q fever.

Q fever is a potentially severe disease which can occur in large outbreaks of acute infections and is a possible bioterrorism agent. In order to lessen the delay in diagnosing acute Q fever, we compared LightCycler Nested PCR (LCN-PCR), a rapid nested PCR assay that uses serum sampled early during the disease as a specimen and the LightCycler as a thermal cycler, to serology by indirect immunofluorescence. We used the 20-copy htpAB-associated element as the DNA target. The detection sensitivity of this method was one Coxiella burnetii DNA copy. We applied this method to the first serum samples taken from 100 patients diagnosed in our laboratory as having acute Q fever on the basis of clinical manifestations and serology and to 80 controls. The LCN-PCR had a specificity of 100%. The sensitivity was 26% when no antibodies were detected but only 5% with seropositive patients (P < 10(-2)). The technique was most efficient in the first 2 weeks following the onset of symptoms (P = 0.02), when its sensitivity was 24% compared with 14% for serology. With combined use of LCN-PCR and serology within the first 2 weeks, the sensitivity was significantly increased over that with serology alone (P < 10(-2)). Thus, we propose a strategy for improving the early diagnosis of acute Q fever where LCN-PCR should be performed together with serology in the first 2 weeks of the disease but should be reserved for seronegative patients in the next 2 weeks and not used later than 4 weeks following onset, when serology is highly sensitive.

Adolescent↗

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) prevalence and quantitative detection of DNA proviral load in individuals with indeterminate/positive serological results.

BACKGROUND: HTLV-1 infection is currently restricted to endemic areas. To define the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in patients living in Italy, we first carried out a retrospective serological analysis in a group of people originating from African countries referred to our hospital from January 2003 to February 2005. We subsequently applied a real time PCR on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from subjects with positive or indeterminate serological results. METHODS: All the sera were first analysed by serological methods (ELISA and/or Western Blotting) and then the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from subjects with positive or inconclusive serological results were analyzed for the presence of proviral DNA by a sensitive SYBR Green real time PCR. In addition, twenty HTLV-I ELISA negative samples were assayed by real time PCR approach as negative controls. RESULTS: Serological results disclosed serum reactivity by ELISA (absorbance values equal or greater than the cut-off value) in 9 out of 3408 individuals attending the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic and/or Oncology Department, and 2 out 534 blood donors enrolled as a control population. Irrespective of positive or inconclusive serological results, all these subjects were analyzed for the presence of proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by SYBR real time PCR. A clear-cut positive result for the presence of HTLV-1 DNA was obtained in two subjects from endemic areas. CONCLUSION: SYBR real time PCR cut short inconclusive serological results. This rapid and inexpensive assay showed an excellent linear dynamic range, specificity and reproducibility readily revealing and quantifying the presence of virus in PBMCs. Our results highlight the need to monitor the presence of HTLV-1 in countries which have seen a large influx of immigrants in recent years. Epidemiological surveillance and correct diagnosis are recommended to verify the prevalence and incidence of a new undesirable phenomenon.

Africa↗

[The sensitivity and specificity of the clinical, serological and tomographic diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii encephalitis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)].

Toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) is among the most common neurologic affections and it is the most prevalent cause of intracerebral mass lesions in AIDS patients. All patients with AIDS hospitalized at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between May/85 and December/91 (516 cases) had their files revised to determinate TE prevalence, serology, sensitivity and specificity of the computed tomography (CT) brain scan, clinical findings and serology to make its diagnosis. The prevalence on CT was 13% (presumptive diagnosis). Blood serology and cerebrospinal (CSF) serology to toxoplasma were positive respectively in 65% and 49%. Autopsies of 125 patients were also revised with a prevalence of 22% (definite diagnosis). CT scan had 65% of sensitivity and 82% of specificity. Sensitivity and specificity of serology on blood was respectively 95% and 30%, while the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) serology had 77% of sensitivity and 56% of specificity. The following clinical findings were considered: fever (sensitivity = 92%; specificity = 56%), neurological focal signs (sensitivity = 59%; specificity = 82%) and headache (sensitivity = 41%; specificity = 69%). We conclude that, based on the high serology sensitivity and high CT scan specificity, they constitute an useful approach to make TE diagnosis.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase activity in nasopharyngeal aspirates for rapid diagnosis of whooping cough in relation to culture and serology.

Adenylate cyclase activity, measured in 201 nasopharyngeal aspirates from patients presenting with own or parental suspicion of whooping cough, was compared to diagnosis made by culture and by serology in the culture negative cases. The median amount of cyclic AMP in samples from culture negative patients (n = 145) was 0.60 pmoles which differed significantly (p less than 0.001) from the median value 3.28 in samples from culture positive patients (n = 56). The median value 0.70 pmoles of cyclic AMP in samples from culture negative patients who were positive by serology (n = 54) did not differ significantly from the value of 0.57 pmoles in samples from serology negative patients (n = 91). With a limit for positive cyclic AMP set at 2 pmoles, 45 samples were positive. The sensitivity of the assay was 66% (37/56) in culture positive patients while the specificity was 93% (85/91) in the serology negative patients. The positive predictive value for the c-AMP test was 82% (37/45) in relation to culture and 87% (39/45) in relation to culture and/or serology. The results confirmed that measurement of adenylate cyclase activity in nasopharyngeal aspirates by an 1-h incubation method can serve as an early and rapid diagnostic method of pertussis infection. The low sensitivity of the c-AMP assay in samples from serology positive but culture negative patients indicates however, that this assay will have to be supplemented by serology for a high diagnostic sensitivity in all cases of pertussis.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Serologic incidence of Cryptosporidium in Delmarva broiler flocks.

Banked serum samples collected from an industry-wide serologic survey of eighteen Delmarva broiler flocks conducted in 1985 were evaluated for the presence of Cryptosporidium- specific antibodies in an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Evaluation of sera collected at 49-days posthatch showed that 38% of the broiler flocks were serologically positive, whereas 50% of samples obtained from flocks at 63-days during an extended growout were positive. From a performance standpoint, the top nine flocks in the study were essentially negative at the 49-day sampling. In order to more firmly establish the serologic prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Delmarva broiler flocks, a second serologic survey was conducted early in 1987. In this study, an estimated 22% of the 454 broiler flocks sampled at approximately 49 days of age were positive for Cryptosporidium. The negative Cryptosporidium serology in the top 25% of these flocks was associated with better performance, but positive Cryptosporidium serology was not clearly correlated with poor performance. Remarkable differences between Cryptosporidium serologic exposure rates of the growout companies were observed, with some companies having exposure rates as high as 40%, and others rates of less than 3%.

Animals↗

Pathogenic and non-pathogenic zymodemes of Entamoeba histolytica in a rural area of Mexico. Concordance with serology.

OBJECTIVES: a) to describe the frequency of pathogenic and nonpathogenic zymodemes of E. histolytica in asymptomatic carriers in rural Mexico, b) to identify the isoenzymatic pattern of the zymodemes and c) to measure the concordance of pathogenic zymodemes and positive serology. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional survey. Reference population: rural communities of the mexican highlands. STUDY UNITS: 2048 individuals from 341 families of 5 rural communities. METHODS: From the local census of each community, 70 to 100 families were selected by random sampling. All members of each family were studied. After obtaining the consent the following activities were done: a) filling of a questionnaire about housing and sanitary condition and structure of the family; age, sex, literacy and digestive symptoms and illness during the previous 4 weeks, in each individual; b) a blood sample for serology (CEIP and IHA) and c) a stool sample for coproparasitoscopic analysis (CPS) and zymodemes identification, in each individual. Statistical evaluation was done by kappa index and receiving operating curves (ROC). MAIN RESULTS: there were 122/1730 (7.1%) CPS studies positive to E histolytica cysts, 100/1730 (5.8%) zymodemes isolated and 137/1886 (7.3%) positive serologic studies. Of the 100 zymodemes 30 had a pathogenic pattern, three had a mixture (pathogenic/nonpathogenic) and 67 had a non-pathogenic patterns. There were two (XVII, XVIII) patterns described for the first time in Mexico. Concordance between pathogenic zymodemes and positive serology (IHA greater than 1:128) was very low, Kappa = 0.05. ROC curves for IHA in pathogenic and non-pathogenic zymodemes showed little relationship between positive serology and pathogenic pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Although the frequency of positive serology, coproparasitoscopic studies and zymodemes identification was similar, the concordance between serology and the coprologic studies was very low. This disagrees with other reports, and deserves further investigation using methodologic standards in design.

Animals↗

Positive serology for Lyme disease borrelias in primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma: a study in 22 patients; is it a fortuitous finding?

BACKGROUND: The historical association of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA), now known to be a late manifestation of Lyme disease caused by Borrelia afzelii, with cutaneous lymphoma, and several small series of PCBCL with positive Lyme disease borrelial serology initiated a study of this association. Material and methods In the last 9 years, 30 patients with PCBCL have been observed and followed, 22 of them were tested for borrelial serology. The control group consisted of 85 patients with NHL (10 cutaneous T-cell, 25 extranodal B-cell non-PCBCL, 50 nodal B-cell), 30 patients with breast cancer and 60 blood donors. The screening tests were two different ELISA tests for B. burgdorferi sensu lato and sensu stricto, and reactive sera were further tested with the ELISA test for B. garinii, a Western blot (WB) test for Swiss Borrelia strains and a WB test for Bavarian Borrelia strains, since an immunoblot made with local strains was not available. Studies with a differential WB test for B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii and B. afzelii was performed afterwards, as well as serological studies ruling out cross-reactions with Leptospiras and Treponema. RESULTS: Fifteen of 22 patients with PCBCL were positive on the screening tests, three of them falsely. Thus, the incidence of positive borrelial serology was 12/22 (55 per cent) in the PCBCL group. No positives were detected in the cutaneous T-cell lymphoma group; 2/25 patients (8 per cent) were positive in the extranodal B-cell NHL group (the localizations being vestibulum nasi and oral cavity), 2/50 (4 per cent) were positive in the nodal B-cell NHL group, 2/30 (7 per cent) in the breast cancer group and 2/60 (3 per cent) in the blood donor group. The cumulative incidence in the control groups was 8/175 (4,6 per cent). The incidence was significantly higher in PCBCL patients as compared to each of the control groups, p value ranging from 0.004 to <0.0001. Two positive patients had ACA, one arthritis. Borrelia afzelii was most often implied for positive serology in the differential WB. No cross-reactions with Treponema and the Leptospiras were documented. CONCLUSION: In conclusion there appears to be a clustering of positive serology for Lyme disease Borrelias in PCBCL patients possibly related to an ethiopathogenic relationship. Mechanisms of Borrelia escape from immunosurveillance mechanisms, persistence of both their mitogenic and antigenic stimuli for B-cells, and SALT formation may be involved in the pathogenesis of a subset of PCBCL.

Acrodermatitis↗

16S rRNA based polymerase chain reaction compared with culture and serological methods for diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

The use of a 16S rRNA based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was investigated. Sputum samples from 34 patients with respiratory illness and evidence of pneumonia as judged by chest X-ray were analyzed by PCR and microbiological culture. Throat swabs from 14 healthy individuals were used as controls. For serology, an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of immunoglobulin M antibodies and a complement fixation assay were performed. Evidence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was obtained in ten patients (29%), eight of whom were found positive by both PCR and serology. Two of the sputum samples from these eight patients were negative by culture. Of the remaining two patients positive for Mycoplasma pneumoniae, one was positive by PCR and culture but negative by serology, and one was found positive by serology but negative by PCR and culture. Thirteen of the 14 controls were negative by both PCR and serology. One control, however, was negative by serology but positive by PCR, which was probably due to asymptomatic carriage of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The results of this study indicate the suitability of the PCR for the detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in clinical samples as well as its potential value as an additional tool for the diagnosis of infection.

Adolescent↗

Serologic testing for symptomatic coccidioidomycosis in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed hosts.

Serologic studies are an important diagnostic tool in the clinical evaluation and follow-up of persons with coccidioidomycosis. Numerous types of serologic tests are available, including immunodiffusion, enzyme immunoassay, and complement fixation. We conducted a retrospective review of the results of 1,797 serologic tests spanning 12 months from the onset of coccidioidomycosis in 298 immunocompetent and 62 immunosuppressed persons with symptomatic infection. Using the onset of symptoms as a reference point, we plotted the positive or negative serologic results over time for both groups. Compared with the immunocompetent group, immunosuppressed persons had lower rates of seropositivity for every type of test during the first year after onset of symptoms for coccidioidomycosis, although many results did not achieve statistical significance. Combining the results of these tests increased the sensitivity of the serologic evaluation in immunocompromised patients. Immunosuppressed persons have the ability to mount a serologic response to coccidioidomycosis, but in some circumstances, multiple methods may be required to improve detection.

Aged↗

Clinical and serological diagnosis of Nephropathia epidemica, the mild type of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

The serological diagnosis of Nephropathia epidemica (NE), the mild European type of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), was studied by means of an indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFAT) in a large outbreak in Finland (morbidity 1.4/1000 population). Acetone-fixed sections of lung of bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) naturally infected with Puumala virus served as antigen. Altogether 65 patients were followed serologically for up to 20 months. Serological results obtained by NE-IFAT were compared with the clinical diagnosis of NE. Of the 41 clinically accepted NE cases 40 were serologically positive. Use of the NE-IFAT serological test allowed the diagnosis to be made in seven patients for whom the clinical data were not sufficient for diagnosing NE. The antibody response in NE often appears to be slower than that against Hantaan virus. Practical recommendations are given for the clinical and serological diagnosis of the milder forms of HFRS.

Adolescent↗