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Chlamydia Trachomatis Antigen EIA
The genus Chlamydia comprises three identified species: Chlamydia trachomatis which is pathogenic principally to humans, Chlamydia psittaci which is pathogenic to birds, animals and occasionally man, and Chlamydia pneumoniae which causes respiratory infections and atypical pneumonia in man.C. trachomatis is clinically one of the most important pathogens and is the leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in industrialised countries.
Serotypes A, B, Ba and C are the agents of trachoma, the commonest preventable cause of blindness; serotypes L1, L2 & L3 are associated with Lymphogranuloma venereum while the remaining serotypes, D-K, are associated with genital tract infections ranging from non-gonococcal urethritis, cervicitis, vulvovaginitis, proctitis and infertility, many of which remain undetected and untreated, to more severe manifestations such as pelvic inflammatory disease, salpingitis and extopic pregnancy in females and epididymitis in males. Serotypes D-K may also cause inclusion conjunctivities, punctuate keratitis and occasionally scarring or endemic trachoma that often arise in patients with unrecognised genital symptoms. Neonatal ophthalmic complications and respiratory diseases may occur in children born to infected mothers.
Infection of C. trachomatis is initiated by the attachment of the elementary body (EB) to columnar epithelial cells where it gains entry by endocytosis. EBs grow and differentiate to form reticulate bodies (RBs). These then divide by binary fission and after 24 - 48 hours the RBs differentiate within the expanding inclusion to form EBs. A mature inclusion may contain approx. 104 chlamydial bodies.
Routine diagnosis of C. trachomatis infections involves one of the following methods:
a) Culturing patient material in animal cells and observing the intracellular chlamydial inclusion bodies by staining and visual examination. However, this takes at least 48 hours.
b) Detection of Chlamydia by nucleic acid hybridisation or amplification. Results are reliable but cost intensive.
c) Direct examination of patient material by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) or immunofluorescence. The EIA method is rapid and independent of microscopic assessment and hence is the method of choice for many laboratories.
MASTAZYME CHLAMYDIA is a rapid EIA test for the quantitative determination of Chlamydia antigen permitting clinicians to detect and consequently treat chlamydial infections effectively.
Advantages of MASTAZYME CHLAMYDIA:
- Detection of antigen enables early treatment compared to antibody detection
- ELISA technique is well established for sample screening
- Highly cost effective especially compared to PCR
- Compared to PCR sensitive enough for swap sampling because of high concentration of infective agent
- Easier performance compared to PCR - less susceptible to faults in sample pre-treatment
- Adaptable to automation
- Suitable for high numbers of samples
- 510(k) cleared by the FDA