The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 15, Issue 1 1-9, Copyright © 1982 by Society for General Microbiology
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with polyvalent gonococcal antigen
B. R. Brodeur, F. E. Ashton and B. B. Diena
An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a mixture of
eight different gonococcal outer-membrane proteins (OMP) as coating antigen
was evaluated for detection of gonococcal antibody in 507 sera obtained
from patients selected from high-risk and low-risk populations. The
indirect ELISA method was more specific and sensitive when the polyvalent
antigen was used than when OMP from only one serotype was used. Past
episodes of the gonorrhoea had a significant influence on the
seropositivity of the test. In a selected low-risk population the
specificity of the assay was 94% and in a selected high-risk population the
sensitivity was 78%. When sera from 24 asymptomatic individuals were tested
the sensitivity was 83%. The ELISA polyvalent-antigen test should be useful
as an aid for the detection of gonorrhoea in populations with a low
prevalence.
