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A comparison of oral fluid and serum for the detection of rubella-specific antibodies in a community study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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UNSPECIFIED (1998) A comparison of oral fluid and serum for the detection of rubella-specific antibodies in a community study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. TROPICAL MEDICINE & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH, 3 (4). pp. 258-267. ISSN 1360-2276.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the utility of oral fluid compared with serum for the determination of age-prevalence of rubella-specific antibodies in an urban African community setting.
METHOD Paired serum and oral fluid samples were collected from 439 individuals aged 0-49 years in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia, as part of a larger seroepidemiological survey in 1994. Oral fluid was sampled using a simple sponge device that was well accepted by subjects of all ages; venous blood was collected by Vacutainer system. We measured rubella-specific antibodies in serum by the Radial Haemolysis (RH) test, supported by two confirmatory assays, and in oral fluid by IgG antibody-capture radioimmunoassay (GACRIA).
RESULTS Sensitivity and specificity of oral fluid results compared to serum were 89% and 76%, respectively. Sensitivity declined from 96% in age group 0-19 years to 90% in age group 20-29 and 78% in age group 30-49. Specificity was 86% in 0-9 year olds contrasting with 61% in older groups (10-49 years). The positive predictive value of an oral fluid sample was high in all age groups (range 97-100%), while the negative predictive value declined from greater than or equal to 80% in those aged <10 years to <10% in those aged greater than or equal to 30 years. Serum confirmatory tests suggested a proportion of false serum RH negatives, increasing with age, indicating a need to standardize serum as well as oral fluid tests.
CONCLUSION In the community setting of a developing country, oral fluid surveys could be useful to estimate age-prevalence of rubella immunity and identify rubella-susceptible children for follow-up. Further work is required to simplify assays and sample processing, improve assay sensitivity and estimate assay specificity more precisely and compare and standardise collection methods suitable for surveillance of a variety of childhood viral infections.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Subjects: | R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine R Medicine > RC Internal medicine |
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Journal or Publication Title: | TROPICAL MEDICINE & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH | ||||
Publisher: | BLACKWELL SCIENCE LTD | ||||
ISSN: | 1360-2276 | ||||
Official Date: | April 1998 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 3 | ||||
Number: | 4 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 10 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 258-267 | ||||
Publication Status: | Published |
Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge
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