Evaluation of an IgM/IgG sensitive enzyme immunoassay and the utility of index values for the screening of syphilis infection in a high-risk population.

Background: Increasing interest in the use of enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for syphilis screening has generated a considerable need for data on the performance of such tests.

Methods: We compared the performance of 1 EIA, the TREP-SURE EIA to that of the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA) in the detection of infection with Treponema pallidum. In total, 674 specimens were tested by VDRL and EIA (356 VDRL-nonreactive and 318 VDRL-reactive).

Real-Time PCR for detection of herpes simplex virus without nucleic acid extraction.

Background: The speed and sensitivity of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have made it a popular method for the detection of microbiological agents in both research and clinical specimens. For the detection and genotyping of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in clinical specimens, real-time PCR has proven to be faster, more sensitive and safer than earlier methods which included isolation of the virus in cell culture followed by immunofluorescence microscopy. While PCR-based assays for HSV detection posses clear advantages over these earlier techniques, certain aspects of the PCR method remain onerous.

Serologic herpes testing in the real world: validation of new type-specific serologic herpes simplex virus tests in a public health laboratory.

Background: Serologic testing for herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) is being implemented in sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics.

Goal: To determine the performance characteristics of two HSV-2 type-specific serologic assays in a public health laboratory.

Study Design: Sera stored from a cross-sectional study were tested with the Meridian Diagnostics and Focus Technologies HSV-2 ELISA tests and a type-specific strip immunoblot assay (Chiron Corp.