Comparative study of anti-double stranded DNA detection by ELISA and Crithidia luciliae immunofluorescence.

Two commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and two commercial Crithidia luciliae immunofluorescence tests (CLIF) were reevaluated as to the efficiency and degree of correlation of anti-double stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) detection in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The two ELISAs exhibited an overall agreement of 95% and significantly correlated with each other (r=0.91, p<0.001). They were comparable in sensitivity (64%, 61%) and had the same specificity (95%, 95%). The sensitivity of the two CLIFs was 39% and 29% with corresponding specificities of 100% and 97%, and an overall agreement with each other of 94%. The two ELISAs had comparable specificity to the CLIFs with good agreement (84%, 79%) while they had a much greater sensitivity than the CLIFs. These findings suggest that ELISA is a useful laboratory test for anti-dsDNA detection of SLE due to its simplicity, quantitative results, sensitivity, specificity and cost, as compared to CLIFs.

A survey on malaria in mobile Cambodians in Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaeo Province, Thailand.

A cross-sectional survey of the malaria prevalence among mobile Cambodians in Aranyaprathet, at the Thai-Cambodia border, was conducted in November 2000. A total of 666 asymptomatic, mobile Cambodians who worked as traders and laborers were studied. The overall prevalence rate was 2.4%, with 93.75% of the infections being due to Plasmodium vivax and 6.25% due to Plasmodium falciparum. Almost all cases had low level of parasitemia (1+) and no sexual stages were found. Factors associated with malaria infection included being male, being in the 10-59 year age group, having a lower level of education and frequent trans-border crossing. Both groups of migrant workers (traders and laborers) had an equal chance of infection.