Novel Nano-Quantum Dot Sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Diagnosis of Human Fascioliasis

Novel laboratory-developed immunodiagnostic microarray based on microbeads encoded with quantum dots (QDs) has been developed and validated for quantitative detection of human fascioliasis in serum and stool samples. The present study aimed to prepare and purify F. gigantica excretory/secretory antigen and conjugate it with a novel nano-quantum dots based immunoassay for diagnosis of human fascioliasis in human serum and stool samples. The study included sera and stool samples collected from patients infected with clinical confirmed fascioliasis (n = 30), sera and stool samples from patients suspected infected with fascioliasis (n = 25), sera and stool samples infected with helminthic parasites other than fascioliasis (n = 25), and healthy negative sera and stool samples (n = 25). This work compares the novel nano-quantum dots based immunoassay ELISA (NQD-ELISA) and traditional sandwich ELISA for detection of circulating fasciola antigen in serum and stool human samples. The overall sensitivity of confirmed and suspected infected fascioliasis using traditional sandwich ELISA was 50.0% and 32.0% in serum samples and 63.3% and 40.0% in stool, respectively, compared to NQD-ELISA. The overall sensitivity of confirmed and suspected infected fascioliasis was in serum samples 86.7%, 60.0%, and 93.3%, and 68.0% in stool, respectively. The overall specificity of confirmed and suspected infected fascioliasis using traditional sandwich ELISA was 68.6% in serum samples and 76.3% in stool, respectively, compared to NQD-ELISA. The overall specificity of confirmed and suspected infected fascioliasis was in serum samples 90.0% and 94.0% in stool, respectively. In conclusion, using NQD-ELISA is a suitable and applicable diagnostic method for diagnosis of human fascioliasis.