Importance of E hislolytica antigen in serodiagnosis and follow-up of patients with amoebic liver abscess

ABSTRACT

This study was composed of two sections A community based study and a hospital based study. The community based study was conducted on 200 apparently healthy individuals who were chosen randomly from rural areas. They were examined clinically, sonographically and their stools were analyzed microscopically for E. histolytica cysts. They were examined serologically by ELISA test for the circulating amoebic antigen to determine the normal titer of antigenemia among healthy individuals and cyst passers. It was found that all of them were negative for antigenemia at 1/16 which was considered the diagnostic titer of amoebic hepatitis. The study was carried on 27 patients suffering from amoebic liver abscess [ALA] to detect the role of circulating amoebic antigen in the diagnosis and follow up of these cases. Circulating amoebic antigen was detected in 66.66% of patients with ALA before therapy which was decreased significantly to 14.82% two months after therapy. There was no significant association between the diameter of the abscess and the titer of the circulating amoebic antigen in their sera