In Mogadishu, Somalia 223 women of childbearing age, including prostitutes, were tested for serum markers for syphilis by the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test and the Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA). Sera reactive in either of these tests were tested for IgM antibodies by solid phase haemadsorption assay (SPHA). Three per cent of sera from 67 pregnant women and...

The serological diagnosis of syphilis relies upon the widespread use of non-specific screenig tests, such as the cardiolipin Wassermann reaction (CWR) and the Venereal Diseases Research Laboratory (VDRL) slide test, in combination with the Reiter protein complement-fixation (RPCF) test (British Cooperative Clinical Group, 1972). Where necessary, the fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorbed (FTA...

The clinical significance of thyroid antibodies is discussed and it is concluded that, of the antibody tests which have been extensively applied, the precipitin test is the most useful for diagnostic purposes. The recently introduced Hyland TA test is compared with the precipitin test. The TA test gives a rapid result and is slightly more sensitive, but it remains undecided whether a true posit...

AIMS To review the performance of the Venereal Diseases Research Laboratory (VDRL) test and the Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) as a combined screen for syphilis to provide a baseline for assessing screening by anti-treponemal IGG EIA. METHODS Between 1980 and 1987 all serum samples were screened by both VDRL and TPHA tests. The FTA-ABS test was also used in suspected early ...

A comparative study of the indirect haemagglutination (IHA), immunofluorescence (IFAT) and immunoenzymatic (ELISA) tests was carried out to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in goats. One hundred seventy-four serum samples were obtained from four goat herds from the region of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais. The distribution of the animals, according to their origin, wa...

background: various compounds of plant origin have been widely investigated since ancient times for their possible immunomodulatory properties as well as for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. objective: to study the immunomodulatory functions of the aqueous extract of the seeds of abrus precatorius commonly known as indian liquorice (fabaceae), a medicinal plant native to central india...

Span 20-based niosome was prepared by lipid film hydration technique and loaded with Newcastle disease vaccine. Three batches with Span 20, cholesterol and dicetyl phosphate in micro molar ratios of 10:10:1; 15:15:1 and 20:20:1 were prepared and evaluated for encapsulation efficiency using haemagglutination test. The morphology of the vesicles was studied by means of transmission electron micro...

The dengue viruses belong to the family Flaviviridae, named after the prototype yellow fever virus, which has played a leading role in the development of the science of medical virology. Other important viruses in this family are the Japanese encephalitis virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus. All these viruses are arthropod-borne viruses and are important causes...

Immunological diagnostic methods for Trypanosoma cruzi depend specifically on the presence of antibodies and parasitological methods lack sensitivity during the chronic and "indeterminate" stages of the disease. This study performed a serological survey of 1,033 subjects from 52 rural communities in 12 of the 18 municipalities in the state of Querétaro, Mexico. We detected anti-T. cruzi antibod...

Six techniques were compared to find the most suitable method for determining the cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody status of blood donors. Five hundred and ninety-six random sera were tested by immunofluorescence (IF), complement fixation (CFT), two enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), a commercial indirect haemagglutination test (IHA)--used as supplied, and a locally devised micromodifica...