Comparison of indirect immunofluorescence and western blot method in the diagnosis of hantavirus infections

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Tatjana Vilibić-Čavlek
• Author: Ljubo Barbić
• Author: Vladimir Stevanović
• Author: Vladimir Savić
• Author: Anna Mrzljak
• Author: Maja Bogdanić
• Author: Irena Tabain
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Internal Medicine)
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Medical Microbiology
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Internal Medicine

Abstract (english)

Background: Serologic cross-reactivity between hantaviruses often complicates the interpretation of the results.
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Aim: To analyze the diagnostic value of indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and western blot (WB) in the diagnosis of hantavirus infections.
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Methods: One hundred eighty-eight serum samples from Puumala (PUUV) and Dobrava (DOBV) orthohantavirus infected patients were analyzed. Serology was performed using commercial tests (Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany).
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Results: Using IFA, 49.5% of acute-phase samples showed a monotypic response to PUUV, while 50.5% cross-reacted with other hantaviruses. The overall cross-reactivity was higher for immunoglobulin G (IgG) (50.0%) than for immunoglobulin M (IgM) (25.5%). PUUV IgM/IgG antibodies showed low/moderate reactivity with orthohantaviruses Hantaan (12.3%/31.5%), Seoul (7.5%/17.8%), DOBV (5.4%/ 28.1%), and Saaremaa (4.8%/15.7%). Both DOBV IgM and IgG antibodies were broadly reactive with Hantaan (76.2%/95.2%), Saaremaa (80.9%/83.3%), and Seoul (78.6%/85.7%) and moderate with PUUV (28.5%/38.1%). Using a WB, serotyping was successful in most cross-reactive samples (89.5%).
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Conclusion: The presented results indicate that WB is more specific than IFA in the diagnosis of hantavirus infections, confirming serotype in most IFA cross-reactive samples.

• Keywords (english): Cross-reactivity; Hantaviruses; Indirect immunofluorescence; Serology; Western blot
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: World Journal of Methodology
• Numbering: vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 294-301
• p-ISSN: 2222-0682
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5662/wjm.v11.i6.294
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:391304
• Publication: 2021-11-20
• Document URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/2222-0682/full/v11/i6/294.htm
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-02-03 09:17:54