Study of the Assimilation Rate of Immunoenzymatic Tests and Traditional Serological Methods in the Diagnosis of Human Brucellosis

Background: Brucellosis is a disease carried by animals that can be transmitted to humans. The signs and symptoms of brucellosis are nonspecific, blood tests and blood/tissue cultures are necessary for making the diagnosis of brucellosis. Testing for antibodies against the bacteria and isolating the organism from blood cultures and biopsy of body tissue (from the bone marrow or the liver) are various methods of diagnosis of brucellosis. In the absence of bacteriologic confirmation, a presumptive diagnosis can be made on the basis of high or rising titers of specific antibodies. Objectives: It is observed practically, that the sensitivity of serological tests is less than the amounts mentioned in the reference books. Elisa is a new method for diagnosis of the disease and in this study; application and its assimilation rate are compared with traditional serological tests. Materials and Methods: In this study, patients were selected who had suspicious clinical symptoms of brucellosis. Serological and Elisa tests were performed simultaneously. Results: In this setting, detection rate of the disease is 34.86%, if the high normal titer for the Wrights test titer assumed 1/80 and is 44.95% if the titer assumed 1/40, while Elisa test had detection rate of 58.72% for those suspicious cases. Furthermore, the detection rate for diagnosis of active brucellosis with 2ME tests was 17.54% with high normal titer of 1/80 and was 59.64% with a high normal titer of 1/40. Conclusions: The use of the Elisa tests is preferable for the diagnosis, and if the serological tests are used it is better that the high normal titer assumed to be 1/40.