01795nas a2200325   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002400055653001500079653002400094653001900118653002000137653001100157653002400168653002000192653002000212653002600232653002200258653001200280100001300292700001600305700002300321700001400344700001300358245011800371300001000489490000700499520094900506022001401455       1987                            d  c1987 Jul10aAgglutination Tests10aAntibodies10aAntigens, Protozoan10aChagas disease10aCross Reactions10aHumans10aLeishmania donovani10aMercaptoethanol10aRosaniline Dyes10aStaining and Labeling10aTrypanosoma cruzi10aTrypsin1 aHarith A1 aLaarman J J1 aMinter-Goedbloed E1 aKager P A1 aKolk A H00aTrypsin-treated and coomassie blue-stained epimastigote antigen in a microagglutination test for Chagas' disease.  a66-710 v373 a<p>A microagglutination test using trypsin-treated and Coomassie blue-stained Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote antigen was adapted for the diagnosis of Chagas' disease. When incorporated in the test, 2-mercaptoethanol treatment of chagasic sera had no influence on antibody titer. In contrast, titers in sera from patients with visceral leishmaniasis, African trypanosomiasis, and autoimmune disorders, subjected to similar treatment, showed remarkable decline. Accordingly, a lower cut-off point for Chagas' disease serological negativity could be taken resulting in a higher sensitivity (95.6%); the specificity was 94.7%. Similar specificities were obtained with Leishmania donovani chagasi and L. d. donovani antigens applied to homologous visceral leishmaniasis and heterologous Chagas' sera. Of 316 nonchagasic sera, only 3 with leptospirosis and 1 with leprosy showed seropositive titers prior to and after 2-mercaptoethanol treatment.</p>  a0002-9637