Evaluation of four commercial enzyme immunoassays for detection of immunoglobulin M antibodies to human parvovirus B19

Four commercial enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for the detection of parvovirus B19-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies [Biotrin Parvovirus B19 IgM (Biotrin International, Ireland); Parvoscan B19 IgM (Euro-Diagnostica, Sweden); Parvovirus IgM (Immunobiological Laboratories [IBL], Germany); and human parvovirus B19 IgM (Hillcrest Biologicals, USA)] were compared to indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Using IFA as the reference test, high sensitivities (greater than or equal to 97%) were observed with all four EIAs, though the specificities of the Biotrin and IBL EIAs (99% and 96% respectively) were significantly higher than those of the Hillcrest and Euro-Diagnostica EIAs (81% and 79% respectively).