Screening of Strongyloides infection using an ELISA test in transplant candidates

OBJECTIVES: Hyperinfection or disseminated strongyloidiasis has been frequently reported after transplants and is related to high mortality. This study aimed to screen for strongyloidiasis using serological diagnoses in transplant candidates. METHODS: An ELISA test was performed with filariform larvae of Strongyloides venezuelensis as a source of antigen. RESULTS: In the serum from transplant candidates, anti-Strongyloides IgG antibodies were detected in 35/150 (23.3%) samples by soluble fractions in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), 31/150 (20.7%) samples by soluble fractions in Tris-HCl, 27/150 (18.0%) samples by membrane fractions in PBS and 22/150 (14.7%) samples by membrane fractions in Tris-HCl. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest the ELISA test, ideally using soluble fractions of filariform larvae S. venezuelensis in PBS, as an additional strategy for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in transplant candidates.

Intestinal parasites inside public restrooms and buses from the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil / Parasitas intestinais no interior de sanitários públicos e ônibus na cidade de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil

The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of intestinal parasites inside public restrooms and buses from a Brazilian city. Sample material was obtained using a transparent adhesive tape. Thirty two public restrooms were investigated and two (6.25%) were contaminated with helminth eggs (Ascaris lumbricoides and Enterobius vermicularis). Of the sixteen different bus lines, three (18.7%) were found to harbor eggs of E. vermicularis. Public restrooms and buses can be an important source of parasite transmission and sanitary education could be improved by using these points.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever a ocorrência de parasitas intestinais em sanitários públicos e ônibus de uma cidade do Brasil. As amostras foram obtidas utilizando-se fita adesiva transparente. Trinta e dois sanitários públicos foram investigados e dois (6,25%) estavam contaminados com ovos de helmintos (Ascaris lumbricoides e Enterobius vermicularis). Das 16 diferentes linhas de ônibus, três (18,7%) foram positivas para ovos de E. vermicularis. Sanitários públicos e ônibus podem ser uma importante via de transmissão de parasitas e a educação sanitária pode ser aperfeiçoada por meio do uso destes pontos.

Immunoparasitological diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis in garbage collectors in Uberlândia, MQ Brazil

The objective of this study was to determine the presence of Strongyloides stercoralis in urban garbage collectors through the use of immunological and parasitological methods. A total of 92 individuals were evaluated from August, 1997, to June, 1998. For the parasitological diagnosis Baermann and Lutz' methods were applied. The immunological diagnosis involved the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect specific IgG antibodies. Of the 92 workers examined, six (6.5 percent) were infected with larvae of S. stercoralis. The IFAT detected 19 (16.3 percent) and the ELISA 17 (18.5 percent) positive serum samples. The differences between the results of parasitological and immunological methods were statistically significant (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that there is a need to improve the health conditions of this category of city employees.

Seroepidemiological aspects of human Strongyloides stercoralis infections in Chile

To determine the frequency of Strongyloides stercoralis antibodies by means of the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in Chile, in 2001-2003, 675 blood samples of patients of two psychiatric hospitals and 172 of healthy individuals (doctors, nurses and paramedicals) of these institutions, and 1,200 serum samples of blood donors of Northern region (Arica and Antofagasta), Central region (Valparaiso and Santiago) and Southern region (La Union) were collected. ELISA showed positivity of 12.1 percent in psychiatric hospitalized patients, none (0 percent) in the health personnel and 0.25 percent in blood donors (p < 0.05). Only in blood donors of Arica (1 percent) and La Union (0.5 percent) the ELISA test was positive suggesting that strongyloidiasis is focalized in determinate zones of the country. In Chile, human infections by S. stercoralis are endemic with very low frequency in apparently healthy individuals and high prevalence in risk groups such as the mentally ill hospitalized patients.

Entre os anos de 2001-2003 foram coletadas amostras de sangue de 675 pacientes de dois hospitais psiquiátricos da região central do Chile, 172 de indivíduos sadios (médicos, enfermeiros e paramédicos) destas instituições e 1200 de doadores de sangue de cidades das regiões norte (Arica e Antofagasta), central (Valparaiso e Santiago) e sul (La Union) para determinar a frequência de anticorpos anti Strongyloides stercoralis mediante a reação de enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Foram observadas soropositividade de 12.1 por cento em pacientes de hospitais psiquiátricos e de 0,25 por cento em doadores de sangue (p < 0.05). Todas as amostras dos indivíduos sadios foram não reagentes. Entre os doadores de sangue a soropositividade ocorreu somente nos indivíduos de Arica (1,0 por cento) e La Union (0,5 por cento) sugerindo que a estrongiloidíase poderia estar localizada em determinadas áreas geográficas do país. Conclui-se que no Chile as infecções por S. stercoralis seriam endêmicas, de baixa freqüência e afetando especialmente grupos de risco como os pacientes psiquiátricos.