Fluorescent antibody test for the serological diagnosis of gonorrhea

Abstract

An indirect fluorescent antibody technique has been developed for the serological diagnosis of gonorrhea. The selected strain(s) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae possesses a heat-labile surface antigen (L-antigen). Sera are diluted 1:10, and an aliquot is hear inactivated at 59 C for 30 min. The treated and untreated aliquots are then examined for human immunoglobulin G anti-L-antigen. In a prelimiary study of 495 sera, 95% of those from women with a bacteriologically confirmed diagnosis of gorrhea and 87% of those from male patients were reactive in this test, whereas only 1.4% fo the sera from presumably normal individuals were reactive.