A comparative study on IgG-ELISA, IgM-IFT and Kato-Katz methods for epidemiological purposes in a low endemic area for schistosomiasis

The high sensitivity and the possibility of automation of the enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay (ELISA) has indicated this technique as one of the most useful serological test for epidemiological studies. In the present study, an ELISA for detection of IgG antibodies against adult worm antigens (IgG-ELISA) was investigated for epidemiological purposes, in a rural area of the municipality of Itariri (Säo Paulo, Brazil). Blood on filter paper (1,180 samples) from about 650 school children were submitted to ELISA and the data compared to the results of the parasitogical method of Kato-Katz and also to the IgM-IFT (immunofluorescence test for IgM antibodies to gut associated antigens). The prevalence rates respectively of 8.5 per cent, 43.0 per cent and 56.2 per cent by the Kato-Katz, IgG-ELISA, and IgM-IFT methods suggest the poor sensitivity of the parasitological method for detection of Schistosoma mansoni eggs in individuals with low worm burden, situation commonly observed in low endemic areas. These results can partially explain the poor degree of agreement between the IgG-ELISA and the Kato-Katz, as suggested by the Kappa index of 0.170. Otherwise, the Kappa index of 0.675 showed substantial agreement between the two serological tests. Some discrepancy of results between the two serological techniques must be better investigated.

Detection of IgM antibodies to Schistosoma mansoni gut-associated antigens for the study of the dynamics of schistosomiasis transmission in an endemic area with low worm burden

Dados de prevalencia e incidencia da esquistossomose foram estimados, acompanhando-se um grupo de escolares residentes em area rural do municipio de Itariri (Sao Paulo, Brasil), por um periodo de 2 anos, com cinco inqueritos, um a cada semestre, realizados no primeiro semestre de cada ano entre marco e abril e no segundo, entre setembro e outubro. O hospedeiro intermediario do Schistosoma mansoni na area e a Biomphalaria tenagophila. A infeccao pelo S. mansoni foi determinada pelo metodo parasitologico de Kato-Katz, atraves do exame de tres laminas, e os resultados analisados comparativamente aos da reacao de imunofluorescencia para deteccao de anticorpos IgM (RIF-IgM). Foram encontrados nos cinco inqueritos indices de prevalencia de 8,6 por cento, 6,8 por cento, 9,9 por cento, 5,8 por cento e 17,2 por cento pelo metodo parasitologico...