EVALUATION OF THE 2ND-GENERATION IMX TORO IGG ANTIBODY-ASSAY FOR DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES TO TOXOPLASMA-GONDII IN HUMAN SERA

For an evaluation of the Abbott IMx Toxo IgG second generation, antibo dies to Toxoplasma gondii were detected by Abbott IMx Toxo IgG and IgM , Vidas Toro IgG and Toxo IgM (bioMerieux, France) with immunofluoresc ence assay verified by the dye-test for IgG, and immunosorbent aggluti nation assay (ISAGA) for IgM as references. The study included 507 ser um samples collected over one month in two laboratories, 32 samples fr om HIV-infected patients, and 70 serial samples from 23 women surveyed for seroconversion or persistent IgM. Alter exclusion of nine equivoc al results from the 507 samples, the sensitivity and specificity, resp ectively, were 100% (156/156) and 100% (342/342) for the IMx Toro IgG and 98.1% (153/156) and 100% (342/342) for the Vidas Toro IgG, Of the 32 HIV-infected patient samples, 7 gave false positive results with IM x Toxo IgG. This was because the samples had been heated. In 5 of the 70 serial samples, IMx Toxo IgG gave positive results earlier than Vid as Toxo IgG and in two cases earlier than IgM antibody assays. In this study IMx Toxo IgG second generation showed an increase in sensitivit y and specificity in comparison with data reported previously for the first generation. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.