A multianalyte Dot-ELISA for simultaneous detection of malaria, Chagas disease, and syphilis-specific IgG antibodies

A multianalyte Dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA-Multi) with Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote alkaline extract (EAE), trypomastigote excreted–secreted antigen (TESA), recombinant protein derived from 19-kDa C-terminal region of the Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (PvMSP119), Plasmodium falciparum Zwittergent® extract (Pf-Zw), and Treponema pallidum Zwittergent® extract (Tp-Zw) was standardized and evaluated as a method for surveying IgG-specific antibodies in Chagas disease, malaria, and syphilis in a single test. The study was carried out on serum samples from 52 patients with chronic Chagas disease, 103 individuals with current (parasitemic) or past malaria (aparasitemic), 43 patients with syphilis, 21 individuals with heterologous antibodies, and 100 blood donors. Dot-ELISA-Multi yielded 99% specificity for Chagas disease and 100% for malaria and syphilis. The test sensitivity was 100% for chronic Chagas disease, 88% for syphilis, 90% for P. vivax, and 47% for P. falciparum. In past malaria individuals, positivity was 92%. Therefore, Dot-ELISA-Multi can be useful under field conditions where laboratory facilities and resources are scarce, for small-scale epidemiologic studies.