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Published on: July 22, 2012
Infantile gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus: comparison of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electron
Insights
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and electron microscopy (EM) detected rotavirus in young children hospitalized with gastroenteritis. ELISA proved more sensitive, identifying rotavirus infection in 73% of patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Virology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Acute gastroenteritis is a common illness in young children.
- Rotavirus is a primary cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children.
- Accurate and sensitive diagnostic methods are crucial for identifying viral infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the diagnostic sensitivity of ELISA and electron microscopy (EM) for rotavirus detection.
- To determine the prevalence of rotavirus infection in hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis.
- To investigate the presence of other viral or bacterial pathogens in conjunction with rotavirus.
Main Methods:
- Stool samples from 100 children hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis were tested using ELISA and negative contrast EM.
- Paired serum samples were analyzed for changes in complement fixation (CF) antibodies.
- Follow-up stool samples were collected and tested several months later.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation was observed between ELISA and EM results for rotavirus detection.
- ELISA demonstrated higher sensitivity, identifying 12% more positive cases than EM.
- Rotavirus infection was confirmed in 73% of the children studied.
- Co-infections with other viruses or pathogenic bacteria were identified in a small subset of patients.
- A significant increase in CF antibodies was detected in children with rotavirus infection.
- Follow-up surveys revealed the absence of rotavirus in asymptomatic children, with detection of other viruses like calicivirus, echovirus, coxsackievirus, and adenovirus.
Conclusions:
- ELISA is a more sensitive diagnostic tool for rotavirus detection compared to EM.
- Rotavirus is a significant cause of acute gastroenteritis in hospitalized children.
- The study highlights the dynamic nature of viral shedding and the potential for co-infections and secondary viral detection in asymptomatic children.
Abstract:
ELISA and negative contrast EM have used for the detection of rotavirus in one hundred stools from children, less than two years old, hospitalized for acute gastro-enteritis during the winter 1977-78. Samples obtained from the same children some months after hospitalization were also tested. A good correlation was found between the results given by EM and ELISA, but the later technique turned out to be more sensitive (12% more positive using ELISA). A rotavirus infection could be demonstrated in 73% of the patients. In the stools of 3 children we found a second virus in association with the rotavirus, and in two cases a pathogenic bacterium. When a second serum specimen was available from children previously infected by rotavirus it was always possible to detect a significant increase in CF antibodies. Several months after hospitalization a 2nd survey indicated that the rotavirus was no longer present but calicivirus, echovirus, coxsackievirus and adenovirus could be detected in those asymptomatic children.
