Neonatal tetanus in Peru: risk assessment with modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and toxoid skin test

Am J Public Health. 1993 Dec;83(12):1754-6. doi: 10.2105/ajph.83.12.1754.

Abstract

We used a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to investigate tetanus immunity in 232 pregnant Peruvian women. One hundred forty-two (61.2%) had protective antitoxin titers (> or = 0.01 IU/mL). Protective titers correlated positively with the number of toxoid doses reported during the current pregnancy. A majority of women reporting no toxoid doses during the current pregnancy had at least one prenatal health care visit. We evaluated a toxoid skin test in 44 of the subjects, but it correlated poorly with the ELISA. The modified ELISA is a useful in vitro method for studying tetanus immunity in the developing world.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods*
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Mass Screening / methods*
  • Peru / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / blood*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / epidemiology*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / immunology
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / prevention & control
  • Prenatal Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Risk Factors
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Skin Tests*
  • Tetanus / blood*
  • Tetanus / epidemiology*
  • Tetanus / immunology
  • Tetanus / prevention & control
  • Tetanus Antitoxin / blood*
  • Tetanus Toxoid* / administration & dosage
  • Tetanus Toxoid* / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Tetanus Antitoxin
  • Tetanus Toxoid