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Sweat chloride: quantitative patch for collection and measurement
W J Warwick1, L G Hansen, I V Brown
1University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, Box 742, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. warwi001@tc.umn.edu
Objective:
To compare two quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis tests for sweat chloride.
Design:
Simultaneous right and left arm sweat tests were done with the Gibson/Cooke and the CF quantum technologies.
Setting:
Sweat tests were performed in a quality controlled cystic fibrosis (CF) sweat test laboratory by an experienced technologist at the University of Minnesota CF Center.
Patients:
Patients referred for sweat tests as well as volunteer CF and control subjects (50 CF and 114 'normals') were tested.
Interventions:
Standard procedures were used for the Gibson/Cooke test (GCST). The manufacturer of the CF quantum test (CFQT) provided factory standardized materials.
Main Outcome Measures:
Sweat chloride concentration, test time, failed tests, sensitivity, specificity, and cost.
Results:
Duplicate test comparing the CFQT and the GCST revealed good comparability (R2 = 0.9434). Sensitivity and specificity of the two methods are comparable at about 94% and 99% respectively. Rate of failed tests was 1% for the CFQT and 15% for the GCST. The CFQT and the GCST are comparable (R2 = 0.9434). Sensitivity (94%) and specificity (99%) are the same for both tests.
Conclusions:
The CFQT method is equal in accuracy and reliability to the more labor-intensive and costly GCST. Advantages of the CFQT are: the small sample size required (three to ten mg), decreased operator dependence, simpler to perform, and requires less equipment. It could be used in a clinic setting to diagnose CF in patients with suggestive symptoms.
