Determination of IgM and IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma using the IFA test, ELISA, and Dot-ELISA procedures

Abstract The dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were compared with the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFA) for detection of IgM- and IgG-specific antibodies to human toxoplasmosis. Reciprocal titers were determined in all three assays using sera from 56 patients with suspected toxoplasmosis or with symptoms and diseases requiring exclusion of toxoplasmosis and control sera from 56 healthy persons. Using the Dot-ELISA, six patient sera (10.7%) were positive at titers of ⩾ 1024 for IgM antibodies (titer range 1024–16 384) and 47 sera (84%) were positive for IgG antibodies (titer range 16–262 144) at a titer of ≥16. One control serum was reactive for IgM (titer 1024) and 10 control sera (18%) were positive for IgG in the Dot-ELISA. In the ELISA, at titers of ≥128, five sera (9%) were reactive for IgM (titer range 128–512) and 52 sera (92.8%) were reactive for IgG (titer range 32–8192) at a titer of ≥32; no control sera gave positive reactions for IgM while 10 sera (18%) were positive for IgG in the ELISA. Using the IFA test at reciprocal titers of ≥16, four sera (7.1%) were positive for IgM (titer range 32–512), and 51 sera (91%) were positive for IgG (titer range 16–8192). None was reactive for IgM, and eight sera (14%) were positive for IgG (titer range 32–128) in the IFA test. The Dot-ELISA correlated well with the IFA test (correlation coefficient = 0.895) and the ELISA correlated slightly higher with the IFA test (correlation coefficient = 0.910) for detection of IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii .