COMPARISON OF THE VIDAS AND BIO-WHITTAKER ENZYME IMMUNOASSAYS FOR DETECTING IGG REACTIVE WITH VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS AND MUMPS-VIRUS

A total of 215 sera, 164 positive and 51 negative for antibody reactiv e with varicella-zoster virus (VZV), were analyzed using two commercia lly available enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for detecting VZV-IgG, the Vi das Varicella-Zoster IgG assay (bio-Merieux Vitek, Inc., Hazelwood, MO , USA) and the BioWhittaker Varicella II assay (Bio-Whittaker, Inc., W alkersville, MD). The sensitivity and specificity of the Vidas and EIA for VZV-IgG was 98.9 and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity of the B io-Whittaker VZV-IgG EIA assay was 98.8%, specificity 96.1%. Equivocal results were obtained with 4 and 2 sera, respectively. A total of 185 sera, 169 positive and 16 negative for mumps virus antibody, were ana lyzed with Vidas and Bio-Whittaker mumps IgG EIAs. The sensitivity of the two assays for detecting mumps IgG was 99.4% and 95.7%, respective ly. Both assays demonstrated 100% specificity. Two of the 185 sera tes ted for mumps antibody yielded equivocal results with the Vidas EIA; f our equivocal results were obtained with the Bio-Whittaker EIA. (C) 19 97 Elsevier Science Inc.