Performance of the Euroline Western blot assay in the detection of herpes simplex virus type 2 antibody in Uganda, China and the USA

May 31, 2011 by
Peace Mirembe (V3locity)

Neal JD, Tobian AA, Laeyendecker O, Ngo TD, Redd AD, Reynolds SJ, Ashley Morrow R, Manucci JL, Serwadda D, Gray RH, Quinn TC.

Int J STD AIDS. 2011 Jun;22(6):342-4. PMID: 21680672. PMCID: PMC3262047


Abstract

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide. While glycoprotein G-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are commonly used for the serological detection of HSV-2 antibodies, they have low specificity in developing countries. The Euroline Western blot (WB) is a commercially available assay that is easy to perform; however, little is known about its performance characteristics. This study evaluated Euroline WB for the detection of HSV-2 antibodies compared with University of Washington Western blot in three geographically different regions: Baltimore, MD, USA; Rakai, Uganda; and Kunming, China. Among the 135 American men attending a STI clinic in Baltimore, MD, 72% (n = 97) were HSV-2-positive by Euroline WB, showing a sensitivity of 97.8% and a specificity of 81.8%. Among the 273 commercial sex workers in Kunming, 62.3% were HSV-2-positive by Euroline WB (sensitivity 96.9%, specificity 89.1%). Among the 437 Ugandans in Rakai, 67.3% were HSV-2-positive by Euroline WB (sensitivity 98.7%, specificity 65.4%). The Euroline WB has a consistently high sensitivity, but specificity varied significantly among the different locations.

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