Accuracy of immunoglobulin M immunoassay for diagnosis of chlamydial infections in infants and adults

An improved solid-phase enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with Chlamydia trachomatis L2 434/Bu elementary bodies was developed for the measurement of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to C. trachomatis in serum. Comparison of EIA and microimmunofluorescence IgM antibody titers of 156 serum samples revealed an EIA sensitivity and specificity of 100% for infants, but reduced sensitivity (85%) and specificity (76%) for sera from adults. Sera containing IgM class rheumatoid factor produced false-positive IgM results which could easily be eliminated by pretreatment of the sera with anti-human IgG. Analysis of sera from infants with chlamydial infections revealed that 17 of 17 infants with C. trachomatis pneumonia had high IgM antibody titers (geometric mean titer, 1:64,812), whereas two infants with conjunctivitis only lacked detectable IgM antibody. EIA detected IgM antibody to several serovar groups in serum, including serovars B, BDE, FG, and J. IgM antibody to C. trachomatis in serum was detected as early as 5 days after the infection that was acquired at delivery and persisted for 3 months. The availability of an EIA possessing good sensitivity and specificity for the detection of IgM antibody to C. trachomatis may permit more laboratories to diagnose perinatal chlamydial infections.