Chlamydial serum IgG antibodies in patients with acute salpingitis measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of serum IgG antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis has been developed. The C. trachomatis subtype LGV-2 was used as antigen. The ELISA was reproducible and its sensitivity and specificity compared well with that of the single-antigen immunofluorescence test (r = 0.83). 29 (85%) of the 34 patients with acute salpingitis had chlamydial serum IgG antibodies measured by the ELISA technique. The detection level in single blood donor specimens was 30%. Among the 34 patients with acute salpingitis, 16 paired serum specimens showed a fourfold or greater rise/fall in antibody titres, and 12 of these belonged to the 19 who harboured C. trachomatis in the lower genital tract.