Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic infection in human and other ‎warm-blooded animals. Serological methods are reliable techniques actually used for ‎diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. Comparison of sensitivity of ELISA and DIG-ELISA for ‎diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis was the main objective of the present work. 68 ‎human serum samples (48 positive sera and 20 negative sera) were tested using ‎ELISA and DIG-ELISA (diffusion in Gel-ELISA). Among three dilutions of sera ‎‎(1:1, 1:10 and 1:100) tested for evaluation, the serum dilution 1:100 was selected as ‎cut off. In this dilution, diameter of reaction zone was 6.08/ mm. In ELISA, 1:200 ‎serum dilution was selected as cut off and at this dilution OD was 0.735. The ‎sensitivity and specificity of DIG-ELISA for serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis at 1:100 ‎serum dilution were 93.37%, 100%, respectively while the sensitivity and specificity ‎of ELISA (at 1:200 serum dilution) were 91.66%, 85% respectively. The results of ‎present study indicated that, DIG-ELISA in 1:100 serum dilutions, in comparison ‎with ELISA proved higher sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis‏.‏

ELISA data is usually handled in the MS Excel worksheets through different methods and different formulas. Accurate and precise calculations of the data is time consuming and tedious. ELISA Analyzer was developed with a user friendly interface to streamline titration and analysis of the data obtained from ELISA and improve rapid and lucid presentation of the results. The software can also help finding appropriate reagent dilutions for the ELISA reaction. Users can determine better dilution of the antibody and the conjugate that was extracted from blood of animal for other ELISA tests. Overall it can assist researchers to speed up data analysis, reduce computational errors, improve the presentation of analysis by creating charts and distinguishing positive samples shown in red color from the negative samples that appear in blue cells of plate, calculate the threshold and ultimately determine the most economic proportions of antibody and conjugate in the mixture considering the antibody and conjugate prices.

Background: The present study was conducted to evaluate and compare a fast-ELISA (F-ELISA) method versus standard- ELISA (S-ELISA) to diagnose human fasciolosis.Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 35 individuals infected with fasciolosis, 27 infected with other parasitoses and 22 from healthy people. The samples were examined with S-ELISA (30-minute incubation periods) and F-ELISA (10 minute incubation periods) for total antibody response against fasciolosis.Results: The optimum conditions for S-ELISA and F-ELISA were respectively as follows: antigen 10 and 5 mg/mL, sera 1:500 dilution for both, peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-human IgG diluted 1:7000 and 1:10000. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 11.0. Cut-off vale for S-ELISA and F-ELISA was determined as 0.56 and 0.42, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity; positive, and negative predictive values were detected as 97.2%, 100%, 94.6%, and 95.6% for both tests.Conclusion: Cut-off values, sensitivity, specificity, and other important parameters of the two evaluated tests determined that the F-ELISA method could be used with no detectable difference.

Background and objective: Brucellosis is an important public health problem that occurs worldwide. Its clinical manifestations can be quite varied and definitive signs to indicate the diagnosis can be lacking and the clinical diagnosis must usually supported by the results of bacteriologic and / or serologic tests. According to recent reports in Iran our city "Hamedan" is a one of the cities with high incidence of brucellosis (incidence=107.5/100000 per year).Materials & methods: In this diagnostic study, patients with clinical diagnosis of brucellosis that had referred to Sina hospital were evaluated. A combination of infection diseases specialist clinical diagnosis and positive Wright test (Wright test ≥ 1/80) or positive 2ME test (2me ≥1/40) defined as a gold standard for diagnosis of brucellosis. Control's group was medical students and some of their families that have negative Wright and 2me tests and clinical diagnosis of brucellosis.Results: Over a one-year period, we had 200 patients (120 male and 80 female) with clinical features suggestive of brucellosis and 200 medical students and some of their families as a control group. The average age in patients was 38.74 years (min=6, max=76, SD=17.3) and in control group was 33.38 years (min=6, max=70, SD=14.5). All the 200 controls had a negative Wright and 2ME test results. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA were 92% and 100% respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 92.5% respectively.Conclusion: The ELISA is a rapid, reliable, easy to perform and sensitive test in the diagnosis of brucellosis. It saves laboratory cost and time.  

Thank you for your valuable comments. As you have attested, nowadays many factors affecting the validity of diagnostic tests should be taken into account when we attempt to establish a powerful diagnostic method.currently, the cost of human and electrical power is increasing rapidly and many companies try continuously to provide a diagnostic test of high validity on the one hand while embracing all the criteria you have mentioned.

Background: Brucellosis is an important common disease with many complications. Early diagnosis of the disease is very important. The present study was designed to compare the diagnostic value of ELISA test (IgM, IgG) with serologic agglutination tests (Wright and Coombs Wright) in brucellosis patients in Kashan during 2004. Materials and Methods: This case control study was conducted on 31 brucellosis patients. Using 5 cc venous blood, the ELISA, Wright and Coombs Wright tests were performed before and 3 months after the treatment. The results were analyzed concerning the determination of specificity and sensitivity of the tests. Results: The sensitivity of ELISA for IgM and IgG was 100%. Specificity of the test was 63.3% and 72.7%; respectively. Also, while the positive predictive value of both tests was 100% the negative predictive values were 83.6% and 86.9%; respectively. Conclusion: Regarding the sensitivity and specificity the ELISA test could be considered as a reliable and appropriate test in diagnosis of brucellosis.

Dear Editor, I read the recent publication on ELISA for Diagnosis of fasciolosis with great interest. Rahimi et al. concluded that “Cut-off values, sensitivity, specificity, and other important parameters of the two evaluated tests determined that the F-ELISA method could be used with no detectable difference” Indeed, similarity in efficacy of the two studied methods might be derived.

Hydatidosis, caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, is one of the most important zoonosis with worldwide distribution. As its diagnosis by clinical symptoms and scanning alone is difficult and confusing, we designed the present study to achieve a sensitive and simple diagnostic method for epidemiological studies. Sera (250 samples) were collected from 90 cases of hydatidosis proven by surgical operation, 80 patients with diseases other than hydatidosis and 80 healthy cases. The antigen (Ag) used was a crude hydatid fluid Ag obtained from lung and liver cycts of sheep slaughtered in Tehran abattoir (Iran). The result of dot-ELISA showed 100% sensitivity and 98.75% specificity . Positive and negative predictive values were 97.82% and 100% respectively. In the case of sandwich ELISA, the results were as follows: 92.22% sensitivity, 98.75% specificity, positive and negative predictive values: 97.64% and 95.75 %, respectively. In both techniques, cross reaction with fasciolosis was observed for two cases. In conclusion, although these two tests had very similar results, dot-ELISA was more acceptable with respect to its higher sensitivity and simplicity in practice.