Immunochromatographic Assay Evaluated for Trichomoniasis

The performance of a rapid immunochromatographic assay in the detection and diagnosis of Trichomoniasis vaginalis has been evaluated.

A qualitative antigen-detection immunochromatographic (IC) assay has been compared with other conventional methods in the diagnosis of vaginal trichomoniasis that accounts for nearly half of all curable sexually transmitted diseases worldwide with serious health consequence.


Scientists at the Mansoura University, (Egypt) enrolled 258 females aged 18 to 50 years who were classified into two groups, with 185 symptomatic and 73 as asymptomatic. Vaginal swab specimens were obtained for wet mount, stained preparation with Giemsa and acridine-orange, two different culture media, and for rapid IC testing. The qualitative OSOM Trichomonas Rapid Test uses color immunochromatographic capillary flow dipstick technology to detect the presence of T. vaginalis antigens from vaginal swab samples.

The prevalence of T. vaginalis in the enrollees was 38.37% (99 of 258) by the composite reference standard (CRS) of wet mount microscopy and culture. With the OSOM rapid test (Sekisui Diagnostics, Framingham, MA, USA) T. vaginalis was detected in 37.6% of the enrolled women. By culture, the flagellate was detected in 99 females cultured onto modified Diamond's and in 96 women cultured in InPouch TV media (BioMed Diagnostics, San Jose, CA, USA). There was no significant difference between the results of the OSOM rapid test and those of the culture method, but there were significant difference between the results of the OSOM rapid test and those of mount microscopy.

The authors concluded that the OSOM Trichomonas Rapid Test is an objective point-of-care-test assay that eliminates the human subjective factors in conventional wet microscopy and culture techniques, and is expected to contribute significantly in the diagnosis of vaginal trichomoniasis. The results are available within 10 minutes and it does not require sophisticated equipment. It can be performed on-site by laboratory personnel, nurses, and medical practitioners with minimal training. In addition, numerous samples can be screened at the same time. The antigen-detection test is useful in settings where a rapid point-of-care test is needed and where microscopy and culture are impractical, and in outpatient clinics where there is a rapid turnaround of patients. The study was published on June 21, 2012, in the journal Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease.

Related Links:
Mansoura University
Sekisui Diagnostics