Evaluation of a Rapid Detection Influenza Virus A Antigens Kit Using Paired Serum Antibody Test

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility for gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) in rapid detection of influenza virus A infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-three patients were enrolled. All patients contributed nasopharyngeal secretions and paired serum samples. Nasopharyngeal secretions was used for colloidal gold immunochromatographic rapid assay for influenza A virus immediately after the collection of specimen. Paired serum samples were used for the hemagglutination inhibition assay at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention influenza network laboratory in Beijing. RESULTS: Compare GICA test to hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, the Kappa value was 0.402 and the p value in the paired χ(2) test was higher than 0.05. Therefore, the difference was not statistically significant. The sensitivity of GICA was 50.0% and the specificity was 90.2%, and the negative predictive value was 90.2%. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity for Influenza A antigen detection by using GICA is relatively low, the specificity is relatively satisfactory.