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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, June 2009, p. 885-888, Vol. 16, No. 6
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00123-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Evaluation of an Immunofiltration Assay That Detects Immunoglobulin M Antibodies against the ZEBRA Protein for the Diagnosis of Epstein-Barr Virus Infectious Mononucleosis in Immunocompetent Patients {triangledown}

Dayana Bravo, Beatriz Muñoz-Cobo, Elisa Costa, M. Angeles Clari, Nuria Tormo, and David Navarro*

Department of Microbiology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valencia, Spain

Received 21 March 2009/ Returned for modification 17 April 2009/ Accepted 21 April 2009

The performance of an immunofiltration assay (IMFA) that detects immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) ZEBRA (BamHI Z EBV replication activator) protein was evaluated for the diagnosis of EBV infectious mononucleosis (IM) in immunocompetent patients. The test panel consisted of 47 sera displaying an EBV-specific antibody profile compatible with an acute primary EBV infection from patients with clinical and biological features of EBV IM, 20 sera from healthy individuals either with a past EBV infection or who were EBV seronegative, 20 sera displaying an equivocal EBV antibody pattern (viral capsid antigen IgG positive [VCA IgG+], VCA IgM+, and EBV nuclear antigen-1 IgG+), and 15 sera obtained from patients with a mononucleosis-like syndrome owing to cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6, or parvovirus B19. Overall, the sensitivity and the specificity of the assay were found to be 92.5%, and 97.3%, respectively. The sensitivity of the assay for the diagnosis of heterophile antibody-negative EBV IM was 86.2%. The IMFA is rapid, easy to perform, and, thus, suitable for point-of-care testing, and it may be used as a first-line test for the diagnosis of acute EBV IM in immunocompetent patients.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Hospital Clínico Universitario, Av. Blasco Ibáñez 17, Valencia 46010, Spain. Phone: 34963864657. Fax: 34963864658. E-mail: David.Navarro{at}uv.es

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 29 April 2009.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, June 2009, p. 885-888, Vol. 16, No. 6
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00123-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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