ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY WITH POLYVALENT GONOCOCCAL ANTIGEN

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a mixture of 8 different gonococcal outer-membrane proteins (OMP) as coating antigen was evaluated for detection of gonococcal antibody in 507 sera obtained from patients selected from high-risk and low-risk populations. The indirect ELISA method was more specific and sensitive when the polyvalent antigen was used than when OMP from only 1 serotype was used. Past episodes of gonorrhea had a significant influence on the seropositivity of the test. In a selected low-risk population the specificity of the assay was 94% and in a selected high-risk population the sensitivity was 78%. When sera from 24 asymptomatic individuals were tested the sensitivity was 83%. The ELISA polyvalent-antigen test should be useful as an aid for the detection of gonorrhea in populations with a low prevalence.