Diphtheria Antitoxoid Antibodies

Overview:

Assess immunity against diphtheria by determining levels of circulating antibodies to diphtheria toxin or to measure the immune response, postvaccination, in individuals suspected of immunodeficiency disorders.

This procedure is rarely used for confirmation of diphtheria infection; it cannot accurately discriminate antibodies between 0.10 IU/mL and 0.01 IU/mL. Immunity declines with age. This procedure may be considered by Medicare and other carriers as investigational and, therefore, may not be payable as a covered benefit for patients.

Rose NR, Manual of Clinical Immunology, 5th ed, Washington, DC: ASM Press, 1997, 465-9.