ABSTRACT
Congenital Toxoplasma gondii infection may lead to abortion, stillbirth, neonatal death as well as severe congenital toxoplasmosis in the newborn infants. No doubt, early and proper diagnosis of infection pregnant women or her baby pave the way to effective treatment and minimize complications. In this study; the PCR and ELISA-IgM were used to diagnose active toxoplasmosis. The results revealed that PCR detected very recently infection [23/70 subjects] than ELISA-IgM [18/70 ones]. However, the use of both ELISA-IgM and PCR together improved the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Pregnancy , Mothers , Infant, Newborn , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods , Comparative StudyABSTRACT
ELISA-hydatid cyst fluid antigen [HCF-Ag-ELISA] and conventional echinococcosis IHAT were assessed for cystic hydatid disease [CHD] confirmed by HCF-Ag immunoblotting assay. The sensitivity of the tests was 94.4% and 83.3% for HCF-Ag-ELISA and IHA, respectively. HCF-Ag-ELISA showed some cross reactions in tumor cases [5.5%], but no cross reaction was observed in rheumatoid arthritis patients. IHA showed 100% specificity. To confirm this data, SDS- PAGE immunoblotting using HCF-Ag was applied. Echinococcus specific reactions were reported with 44 Kda, 34 Kda, 29 Kda and 8 Kda HCF-Ag resolved bands. A cross reaction was found with 27 Kda, 21 Kda, 16 Kda and 13 Kda bands in tumor patients. Moreover, a cross reaction was found with 200 Kda, 175 Kda, 62 Kda, 52 Kda and 40 Kda in serological anti-schistosoma antibodies positive cases. So, using specific HCF-Ag immunoblotting provided 100% sensitivity and specificity in CHD
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Immunologic Tests/methods , Immunoblotting , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Cross Reactions , Sensitivity and Specificity , Antigens, HelminthABSTRACT
A total of 72 bilharzial mansonian schoolchildren aged 6 - 12 years was studied before and 6 months after praziquantel [PZQ] treatment. After treatment, 21 cases showed reinfection, while 51 were resistant. Using ELISA specific antibody assays, titer levels of IgM, IgG, IgA and IgE for soluble egg antigen [SEA] and soluble worm antigen [SWAP], were higher among resistant cases than among reinfected ones before and after treatment. The levels of specific IgA and IgE among resistant cases were significantly higher than among reinfected cases after treatment. This may indicate the integrity of immune system and the prominent humoral immune response