Preparation and preliminary application of colloidal carbon dipstick for schistosomiasis japonica / 中南大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To develop a rapid and simple immunoassay to detect antibodies in the sera of patients infect Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum).@*METHODS@#Soluble egg antigen (SEA) of S. japonicum conjugated with colloidal carbon in advance was used to react with the antibodies in the sera of patients with schistosomiasis. Then the carbon-antigen-antibody complex would be captured by SEA which had been absorbed on the nitrocellulose membrane and a gray band was shown.@*RESULTS@#A total of 137 sera samples from S. japonicum epidemic area were tested, and the consistency, sensitivity, and specificity of colloidal carbon dipstick assay were 98.54%, 98.99%, and 97.37%, respectively, compared with the IHA method. The gray scale of bands on the dipstick was curvilinear to serum titer which revealed that the assay could be used semi-quantitatively in serum analysis.@*CONCLUSION@#Colloidal carbon dipstick assay is not only rapid and simple, but also sensitive and specific for the detection of serum antibodies of schistosomiasis japonica. It will be a practical immunological assay for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis in the field testing.