[IgG serum antibody responses in suspected liver cystic echinococcosis patients]

Cystic echinococcosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by a tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Liver infection is the most common form of human echinococcosis. Diagnosis of liver echinococcosis could be made by different methods. It is very important to have good anamnesis and epidemiological evaluation, clinical status and clinical investigations such as X-ray examination, ultrasonography, nuclear magnetic resonance, computerized tomography, laboratory analysis and serology. Different serologic tests could be used for diagnosis of echinococcosis: complement fixation test, immunoelectrophoresis, indirect haemagglutination, latex agglutination, indirect fluorescence test and enzyme immunoassays sush as ELISA test.

The aim of this study was to investigate anti-E granulosus antibodies by ELISA test as a complementary laboratory method in the diagnosis of human echinococcosis.

In this study, we investigated 212 patients of suspected liver cystic echinococcosis. ELISA test was used for detection of whole anti-E granulosus IgG antibodies specific for AgB.

Out of 212 patients, in 26 (12.26%) patients echinococcosis was confirmed by ELISA test. In 7/26 patients who had data about the ultrasonographic morphological type of cyst according to Gharbi, high values of seropositivity were found. Borderline values were found in 15/212 (7.08%) patients. In three patients with borderline values, second sera samples were examined after 18-22 days. In one patient, the test showed the same value, in the second patient echinococcosis was confirmed while in the third, the test showed a negative value. In 171 (80.66%) patients, anti-Echinococcus antibodies were not found by ELISA test.

It has already been known that serological investigation has some limitations, but detection of specific antibodies remains an indispensable mark in evaluation of suspected liver cystic echinococcosis patients.