Immunodiagnosis of infection with Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni in man.

Abstract

We utilized the circumoval precipitin (COP) test, Ouchterlony immunodiffusion, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of human infection with Schistosoma mansoni or S. haematobium, or with both species of schistosome. Only the COP test correctly identified all of those with schistosome infection, although differentiation as to schistosome species was impossible. Circumoval precipitates around S. haematobium eggs from human urine were more numerous and larger than those around S. mansoni eggs obtained from mouse livers. Ouchterlony immunodiffusion with S. mansoni or S. haematobium worm extract failed to diagnose correctly approximately one of every five infected individuals. Mean absorption values of the S. mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) used in the ELISA were similar in serum samples from persons infected with either or both species of blood flukes. This suggests that S. mansoni SEA is not species-specific. The ELISA correctly identified, however, 30 of 32 infected individuals, indicating high sensitivity.