Comparison of a chemiluminescence immunoassay and an enzyme immunoassay for detection of IgM antibodies against measles, mumps, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV), and human herpes virus (HHV) -1 and -2 infections

Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable viral diseases have been increasingly reported globally over the past few years. The burden of congenital viral infections, their impact on physical and mental development and the resulting economic loss to the family and the community are also well known. IgM antibody detection has been convenient in the diagnosis of acute viral infections, particularly in settings with limited resources where molecular tests are not feasible.This is a comparative study between a chemiluminescence immunoassay (Liaison, DiaSorin, Saluggia, Italy) and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Euroimmun, Lubeck, Germany) for the detection of IgM antibody against measles, mumps, rubella, CMV, EBV and HHV-1 and -2 viruses using a total of 345 samples. Results are expressed as agreement using kappa statistics.In this study, CLIA is perfectly comparable to ELISA for the detection of IgM antibodies against measles (0.86) and mumps (0.92) with a moderate agreement for rubella (0.52), CMV (0.57), EBV (0.50), and HHV-1 and -2 (0.47) assays. However, a PABAK (prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa) showed improved agreement for rubella (0.64), CMV (0.65), EBV (0.60), and HHV-1 and -2 (0.88) assays.IgM antibody assays (CLIA and ELISA) against measles and mumps virus can be comparably used depending on the laboratory setup, throughput and expertise.