DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOTRANSFER BLOT TECHNIQUE FOR SERODIAGNOSIS OF CHAGAS-DISEASE

An enzyme linked immunoelectrotransfer blot technique (EITB) was devel oped and evaluated for the serodiagnosis of Chagas' disease. EITB stri ps were prepared using Trypansoma cruzi (Y strain) epimastigotes lysat e. Evaluation was performed with 235 serum samples collected from indi viduals living in an endemic area for Chagas' disease. Among those sam ples, 160 were serological positive in three conventional tests for T. cruzi and 75 were negative. The specificity was determined using 37 s erum samples from patients with other infectious diseases. The EITB te st showed sensitivity of 99.3% and specificity of 100% when a positive reaction was defined as the presence of 3 bands from a group of 7 (14 , 19, 27, 30, 34, 37 and 75), a negative reaction was defined as the a bsence of 6 of the 7 bands, and an indeterminate reaction as the prese nce of two of the 7 bands.