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Published on: January 28, 2019
Comparative Analysis of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Immunochromatography for Rotavirus and Adenovirus
Smitha Bagali1, Laxmi Kakhandaki1, Rashmi Karigoudar1
1Department of Microbiology, BLDE(DU)'s Shri B. M. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Vijayapura, Karnataka, India.
Insights
Immune-chromatography tests (ICT) accurately detect rotavirus and adenovirus in young children with gastroenteritis. ICT offers a sensitive, specific, and rapid alternative to ELISA for diagnosing viral diarrhea in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Diagnostic Microbiology
Background:
- Viral gastroenteritis in young children is frequently caused by rotavirus and enteric adenovirus.
- Clinical symptoms of viral gastroenteritis lack distinct diagnostic features.
- Rapid, simple, and cost-effective diagnostic methods are crucial for acute gastroenteritis management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of immune-chromatography test (ICT) against enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
- To compare the diagnostic accuracy of ICT and ELISA for rotavirus and adenovirus antigen detection in fecal samples from children with acute gastroenteritis.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study involving 314 fecal samples from children under 5 years old with acute gastroenteritis.
- Fecal samples were analyzed for rotavirus and adenovirus antigens using both ICT and ELISA.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus infection was detected in 35.66% of children, adenovirus in 2.86%, and co-infection in 0.95%.
- ICT demonstrated 98.20% sensitivity and 100% specificity for rotavirus, and 100% sensitivity and 99.7% specificity for adenovirus, compared to ELISA.
- ICT proved to be a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool.
Conclusions:
- Immune-chromatography tests exhibit high sensitivity and specificity for detecting rotavirus and adenovirus in fecal samples.
- ICT is user-friendly, rapid, and requires no specialized equipment, making it suitable for clinical settings.
- ICT can serve as a valuable alternative method for identifying viral pathogens in clinical practice.
Abstract:
Introduction The most frequent etiologies of viral gastroenteritis among young children are rotavirus and enteric adenovirus. The clinical signs and symptoms of viral gastroenteritis are not distinct enough to allow for diagnosis. For the diagnosis and treatment of acute gastroenteritis, it is preferable to use quick, simple, and low-cost procedures. This study was undertaken to determine efficacy of immune-chromatography test (ICT) in comparison with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect rotavirus and adenovirus antigen in fecal specimen among children less than 5 years of age with acute gastroenteritis. Materials and Methods In a cross-sectional observational study, 314 fecal samples were collected from children aged less than 5 years with acute gastroenteritis attending or admitted to a tertiary care hospital during the 1 year study period. Samples were tested for rotavirus and adenovirus antigen using ICT and ELISA. Results Among the 314 children evaluated, 112 (35.66%) had rotavirus infection, nine (2.86%) had adenovirus infection, and three (0.95%) had both rotavirus and adenovirus infection. This study found that ICT is 98.20% sensitive and 100% specific for the diagnosis of rotaviral diarrhea and 100% sensitive and 99.7% specific for adenovirus diarrhea, compared to ELISA. Conclusion Immunochromatography tests used for the detection of rotavirus and adenovirus in the fecal sample showed a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. The ICT is easy to perform and rapid, and it does not require any special equipment. Hence, the ICT could be used as an alternative method for detecting viral pathogens in clinical practice.
