Pre- and post-treatment immunodiagnostic evaluation in human schistosomiasis mansoni

Schistosomiasis control seems to be different in countries were low parasitic burden and asymptomatic clinical patients are the features of majority of cases. Immunological methods must substitute the traditional coprologic techniques used for some decades in the Control Program. Circumoval Precipitin Test (COPT), intradermal test and ELISA with soluble egg antigen (SEA) are evaluated for using as tools for seroepidemiologic studies. COPT and ELISA were performed after treatment to known their utility when impact of chemotherapy must be assessed. One hundred sixty five persons were followed up 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment. The mean sensitivity of COPT studied by age groups was 95.6% which is very important considering that 88.4% of the studied population excreted less than 100 eggs/gr of feces, while sensitivity of intradermal test was 58.2%. Children showed the highest reactivity to COPT. When treatment is effective, COPT reactivity progressively diminish until become negative one year later. In the non cure group, the COPT reactivity diminished but never below 20%. ELISA-SEA did not modify one year after treatment. Effort should be made to isolate fractions of eggs of Schistosoma mansoni whose antibodies disappear after treatment.