Detection of Trichomonas vaginalis antigen in women by enzyme immunoassay

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for the detection of Trichomonas vaginalis antigen in vaginal swabs. Four hundred and eighty two women attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic were tested; 44 (9.1%) were positive by culture, 32 (6.6%) were positive by wet film examination, and 54 (11.2%) were considered to be positive for trichomonal antigen by EIA. Taking culture as the reference method, the EIA had a sensitivity of 93.2% and a specificity of 97.5%. The predictive value of a positive test was 82% and that of a negative test was 99.3%.