CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF BORDETELLA-PERTUSS IS ADENYLATE-CYCLASE ASSAY FOR PERTUSSIS DIAGNOSIS

Pertussis diagnosis is made according to: clinical symptoms, culture o nto Bordet-Gengou medium, and Bordetella adenylate cyclase (AC) assay performed with nasopharyngeal swabs from the left and right nostrils o f patients. This last method was assessed through a retrospective stud y including 95 clinical case reports, monitoring 10 pertussis features . We first assessed each of the 10 clinical items and the association of some of these items for pertussis diagnosis with culture results. T hen, ive evaluated AC assay in comparison with culture results (defini te pertussis diagnosis), and with the best clinical association as pre viously determined (probable pertussis diagnosis). The AC assay is fas t, with a good sensitivity, but an only average specificity. Neverthel ess, the properties of this rest allow us to offer it as a good comple mentary method to the Bordetella culture for pertussis diagnosis.